Were they just ‘unaware’?

It may be cold comfort to those who learned they were infected with a serious disease through no fault of their own, but Larry Matheis, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Association now says, "I do believe that there will be significant long-range benefits to the nation's health care" resulting from the Las Vegas outbreak of infectious diseases including hepatitis C, even though "the price has been high for patients who should not have been placed at risk and for the lost confidence in the health care system.''

Congressional concern about disease outbreaks in ambulatory surgery centers -- including the hepatitis C outbreak at a Las Vegas endoscopy center attributed to dangerous injection procedures -- have prompted a nationwide study to determine what role the facilities play in the spread of medically caused infection.

Rather than looking only at how many infections occurred in outpatient surgery centers, the study will also seek to determine whether the facilities are following appropriate infection-control procedures.

The hope is to prevent future outbreaks like that experienced in Las Vegas, says Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., who along with Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., was among several House members to call for the study.

Mr. Matheis' Nevada State Health Division has already created a committee to look at infection control in all of Nevada's health care settings, including physician offices.

"Nevada is not unique, but our high visibility has really given us the opportunity to use the terrible Las Vegas outbreak and to make a serious effort at making any repeat impossible,'' Mr. Matheis says.

Well, maybe.

For as laudable a goal as "raising awareness about safe injection practices" may be, it carries the somewhat naive implications that "medical professionals" who have endangered patients by engaging in such practices, here and elsewhere, were simply unaware of how dangerous it could be.

Bank robbers, after all, don't rob banks because they "simply don't realize" the money isn't theirs, indicating a need for some follow-up classes in our economic tradition of property rights, reinforced by some colorful brochures and posters.

They know exactly what they're doing.

If, in fact, practitioners ordered or engaged in or stood by and tolerated such dangerous practices, not out of ignorance of the possible results, but rather in a cynical attempt to please the boss and save money despite their awareness of the devastating possible results, then it's not simply safe medical procedure they need to be "made more aware of," but rather the economic ramifications of facing a future barred from the practice of medicine, or worse.