Duke University Health System officials announced earlier this month that they are hiring an outside firm to monitor the long-term health of patients on whom surgeries were performed in late 2004 with tools exposed to used elevator hydraulic fluid.
The firm—which has not yet been hired and will be selected within the next few weeks— will compile health information and track the patients affected by the mishap, which occurred after a local elevator company employee accidentally drained the fluid into drums labeled as containing detergent used to clean surgical instruments.
Patient advocates began calling for Duke to set up such a tracking system since the University announced the accidental exposures last January.
“Although toxicologists that have been involved still believe this level of exposure should not be associated with any impact on human health, we have heard patients’ concerns and we agree as well that follow-up is appropriate,” said Dr. Michael Cuffe, vice president for medical affairs at DUHS. “I would like to be at the place where we are doing follow-ups much longer than experts say are necessary, and in the end it shows nothing and puts to ease patients’ fears.”
Cuffe said Duke is compiling information from patient histories, public records, media reports and other sources to create an all-inclusive database to track the patients. He added that hiring the independent organization is necessary because it allows those disillusioned with Duke because of the incident to have a place where their concerns can be heard.
Several patients have complained about prolonged injuries and DUHS’ slowness in releasing information about its error since employees at Duke Health Raleigh and Durham Regional Hospital—both DUHS facilities—reported using surgical tools that had accidentally been washed with the fluid in one step of the standard cleaning process.
A judge ruled Aug. 8 that patients could seek compensation for punitive damages. No suits have yet been filed against Duke. Two lawsuits have been filed against Automatic Elevator Co. and Cardinal Health, the elevator company that drained the hydraulic fluid into drums and the supplier of the detergent, respectively.
Carol Svec, a health writer from Raleigh and patient activist for those affected by the hydraulic fluid debacle, said she was cautiously optimistic about Duke hiring the outside firm.
“Provided it is done well, this is exactly what we have been asking for since Jan. 7,” Svec said. “I am very happy Duke was willing to hear us and listen to our arguments. It speaks very highly of Dr. Cuffe and [Chancellor of Health Affairs Victor] Dzau… that they were receptive to the patients in this way.”
Svec, who has organized meetings for the affected patients to discuss their experiences, said she spent at least 40 hours a week in the summer calling—and sometimes fighting—for more transparency and outreach from Duke administrators. She said her group of about 70 patients brings hope to those who feel they are alone in the aftermath of the mishap.
“I think it is pretty significant that a group of 70 people can get together and work to try and affect change in an organization of 18,000,” Svec said. “We feel like we have moved a mountain.”
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