Records: Inspectors Missed Issues With Dirty Hospital Tools

DETROIT (AP) - Records show state regulators who cited the Detroit Medical Center for lax training failed to find problems with dirty surgical instruments during an inspection last year.

The Detroit News obtained inspection reports and internal hospital records showing issues with the delivery and cleaning of surgical instruments were occurring amid a Feb. 18-Feb. 19, 2015 inspection of sterilization facilities.

Larry Horvath, director of the state's Bureau of Community and Health Systems, says inspectors never checked to see whether instruments were properly sterilized during the routine inspection because they received no complaints indicating there was a problem.

The newspaper last month revealed 11 years of internal complaints about dirty instruments that complicated operations.

The DMC says in a statement that it plans to "take all actions necessary" to fix the issues.
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