The surgical tech who prompted blood disease testing of thousands of patients has tested positive for HIV and negative for Hepatitis B and C.
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When the issue was discovered, Swedish asked almost 3,000 former patients to be tested for blood-borne diseases, including HIV and hepatitis B and C. About 2,500 of those patients took advantage of the free tests and there have been no reports of positive tests, the U.S. Attorney’s Office news release states.
Rocky Allen, 28, accused of stealing fentanyl citrate in January from Swedish Medical Center and switching the fentanyl-filled syringe with others, was indicted by a federal grand jury in February, and up to 3,000 patients have been offered free testing for HIV and two forms of hepatitis, CBS Denver reports.
The concern is that Allen may have used the syringes on himself before returning them to the operating room to be used on patients.
Rocky Allen has pleaded not guilty to charges that he took a syringe of painkillers and replaced it with one containing another substance at Swedish Medical Center in suburban Denver. There have been no reported cases of HIV among the approximately 2,500 people tested there. The hospital fired him, and three weeks later federal prosecutors charged him with tampering with a consumer product and obtaining a controlled substance by deceit.
9Wants to Know has investigated Allen’s troubled medical career in which he was repeatedly hired and fired by several hospitals after he was caught stealing fentanyl. His public defender, Timothy O’Hara, has said even though evidence showed he might have switched the needles out, there’s no reason to think he was re-using the syringes.
Northwest Hospital sent warning letters to more than 1,300 patients who underwent surgery in late 2011 and 2012.
Health officials urged any patient who may have been infected during Allen’s stint as a surgery technician there to get tested for HIV and Hepatitis B and C.
His history with drug abuse can be linked back to 2011, where he was court martialed by the Navy for stealing painkillers.
Authorities say someone saw Allen take a syringe filled with painkillers from an operating room at the Denver area center January 22. They say he moved from Arizona to California and finally Colorado by lying in order to steal drugs.
Swedish would not explain exactly what it did to vet Allen before hiring him in August 2015 but spokeswoman Nicole Williams said their general hiring practice includes a background check by a third party, confirmation of training, certification and state registration and drug screening.
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If convicted, Allen faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison and a possible fine of $500,000.
