“Dental Patients at Lyon’s Hospices Civils Receive Advisory Letter for HIV and Hepatitis Screening”

They are 5,000 patients to have received a letter from the odontology center of the Hospices Civils de Lyon in May, advising to carry out a screening for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The HCL discovered that a material used when caring for patients at a dental center was “likely to have suffered a defect as part of its sterilization cycle”, in December 2022.

A minimal risk of infection, according to the HCL

“In accordance with hygiene standards, the tips of these dynamic instrument holders (dental burs, descaling inserts) were well sterilized, but the part carrying the instrument was only disinfected”, communicated the HCL, confirming information from the Progress. As a measure of “maximum precaution”, all patients potentially concerned over the period from May to December 2022 have been contacted.

According to the Hospices Civils de Lyon, exposure to an infectious risk is minimal. Screenings have already started and “no patient without a history has had a positive screening,” said the HCL.