Montreal Acupuncturist Used Dirty Needles

[CheekyMonkey613]

From The Globe and Mail:

Public-health officials are urging almost 1,200 patients of a Montreal acupuncturist to be tested for HIV-AIDS after learning that the needles she was using were improperly cleaned.

Dr. Carsley said registered letters have been sent to 1,144 people known to have been treated by Suzanne Sicotte since 1979. The unlicensed acupuncturist had a practice in the city’s trendy Plateau Mont-Royal district, but it was shut down in January after a patient complained.

Ms. Sicotte pleaded guilty to seven counts of practising without a licence, and was fined $7,000. She continues to work as an osteopath, a profession that is not regulated.

Horacio Arruda, director of public health for the Quebec Ministry of Health, (said) “We are aware that any letter like this containing potentially bad news can cause some concerns and certain reactions,” he said, adding that a press conference had been called to get out as much information as possible.

Dr. Arruda urged everyone who received a letter to consult a nurse or doctor, and to undergo blood tests for HIV-AIDS, hepatitis C and hepatitis B, blood-borne diseases all of which can all be transmitted by needles.

From The Montreal Gazette:

The Quebec Order of Acupuncturists investigated Sicotte in mid-January after being tipped off by one of her patients that she wasn’t sterilizing her needles. Sicotte had also inserted unsterilized metal probes into patients’ nasal cavities - a dubious procedure that does not belong to any branch of conventional or alternative medicine, officials said.

Also from The Montreal Gazette:

News that the operator of a Montreal acupuncture clinic was using improperly-sterilized needles might keep some people away from acupuncture clinics. Ling Jie Li (an acupuncturist) said she was puzzled as to why anyone would risk a patient’s health by using the reusable type - each disposable needle costs about 4 cents. At 15 needles per treatment session on average, that works out to 60 cents.

This is just wrong on so many levels:
~ She’s been doing this for 25 years and gets a slap on the wrist with 7 fines of $1000? That’s IT?
~ She can still practice as an osteopath? Shouldn’t her disregard for public health grant her an immediate ban on any practice dealing with healthcare?
~ They sent out registered letters to 1144 patients who were “in her care” since 1979? Do you know how many times I’ve moved since 1979? How the hell do they expect to find everyone?
~ They are “urging” people to be tested? That’s it? Given the situation, and possible spread of HIV and hepatitis, shouldn’t it be more than “urged”?
~ They were tipped off by ONE patient? One thousand one hundred and forty three thought it was fine?
~ Sicotte was the operator of this acupuncture clinic? How the hell does that work if she doesn’t even have a license? Where’s the government regulation?
~ ¢60! ¢60 CANADIAN! That’s all it would cost to use new needles for every treatment? That was too much of an expense? That’s $686.40 for all of her patients since 1979. That’s an average cost of $27.45 per year! Bloody fucking hell. What else did she skimp on?

FINED $7000???

[the_Lady]

Yep - heard the bare bones on the radio this morning -
didn’t realize the punishment was such a slap on the wrist.
Good lord - what is wrong with that woman? Unbelievable.
I’m not sure what’s worse - if she really is that stupid and careless, or if she really is that evil.

[county]

What does “improperly cleaned” mean?

Was this a procedural thing or a genuine health risk?

Inquiring minds are a little curious.

And: “adding that a press conference had been called to get out as much information as possible.” sounds a little political to me. If they want to get out information, they should put out information.

[Briny_Deep]

I don’t know that an acupuncture patient has much of a reasonable expectation that the acupuncturist believes or knows that germs cause disease.

What a shocker that a practitioner of hocus-pocus doesn’t bother to sterilize the needles; any disease ought to be cured through needle-pricks, the burning of herbs near the skin, and maybe some mystical hand movements over the patient to focus the energy.

Reminds me of the thread recently about the chiropractor who wouldn’t wash his hands between patients, nor allow his staff to do so. Well, it stands to reason, doesn’t it?

[irishgirl]

If I wasn’t seeing a sterile needle taken out of it’s unopened package in front of my very eyes, there is no way it’s going into me.

Hell, you just ask each patient to bring their own, or pay extra for them. It’s not like someone paying 20 bucks to have needles stuck in them will care about paying a few extra to make sure the needles are clean.

Can she be sued for endangerment or negligence or something in the civil courts?