Fri Jul 3, 12:40 am ET
DENVER – A former surgery technician may have exposed thousands of Colorado
patients to hepatitis C when she swapped her own dirty syringes for ones filled
with a powerful narcotic, federal authorities said Thursday.
Kristen Diane Parker faces criminal charges for allegedly making the swaps while
working at Audubon Ambulatory Surgery Center in Colorado Springs and Rose
Medical Center in Denver.
Authorities say Parker admitted to changing out syringes containing a saline
solution with ones filled with the painkiller Fentanyl. Parker injected herself
with the drug, according to a complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in
Denver.
An affidavit by Mary F. LaFrance, an investigator for the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, says at least nine surgery patients at Rose have tested positive
for hepatitis C, which is incurable. About 6,000 patients are being advised they
may have been exposed and need to be tested.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne disease that can cause serious liver problems,
including cirrhosis or liver cancer. The illness is treatable, but there is no
cure. Symptoms can include nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, pain and jaundice.
Rose Medical Center officials told a news conference Thursday night they were
working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to
determine whether Parker was the source of the virus.
It could not be determined Thursday night whether Parker had an attorney.
Parker worked at Rose from Oct. 21, 2008, until April. Hospital officials say
she was suspended April 13, before they learned of the cases, and then fired.
She had failed a drug test by testing positive for Fentanyl.
Parker went to work for the Audubon surgery center shortly after being fired.
She worked there from May 4 until Monday, Dr. J. Michael Hall, Audubon's medical
director, told The Gazette in Colorado Springs.
If convicted of tampering with a consumer product and other charges, she faces
up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine on the most serious charge
of tampering.
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Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com
(This version CORRECTS UPDATES with hospital news conference, comment from
Colorado Springs doctor. corrects that charges were filed Thursday sted Friday.)

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