Woodstock, Ont. OB-GYN used improperly sterilized medical equipment, health unit says

Patients at an OB-GYN in Woodstock, Ontario are being asked by local health officials to get tested after an inspection last month revealed a failure of the private clinic’s provincial-mandated infection prevention and control (IPAC) practices.

According to Southwestern Public Health, an inspection of the clinic by Dr. Donald David Snider at 716 Dundas St. in Woodstock found IPAC errors related to the sterilization of medical equipment, increasing the risk of transmission of blood borne infections. including hep. B, Hep. C or HIV in medical facilities, it said.

Although there is no evidence that disease transmission has occurred, patients who received certain medical procedures at the clinic between January 1, 2020 and September 12, 2022 are advised to get tested, Dr. Ninh Tran, the medic health officer for counties Elgin and Oxford and St Thomas, in a statement.

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The procedures in question include insertion and removal of an IUD, endometrial biopsy, endocervical polyp removal, vaginal examination, vulvar biopsy, Pap tests and pessary fittings, officials said.

“After the investigation, my initial assessment is that the risk of contracting such an infection from improperly sterilized medical equipment in this environment is likely to be very low,” Tran said. However, patients were still asked to be tested for hepatitis B and C and HIV as a precautionary measure.

The health unit says affected patients will be notified by letter and given information about lab tests. Those who have tested positive for bloodborne infection will be contacted regarding the next steps for them and other members of their household.

The health unit says its investigation was launched after a complaint was received about the clinic.

When inspectors visited Snider’s clinic last month, they found the autoclave, a machine that uses pressurized steam to sterilize medical equipment, was malfunctioning and had not been routinely tested, the brief IPAC bug report said issued by the health unit.

Tran later told Global News that it wasn’t clear when the autoclave stopped working properly, so officials chose the extended period from when the clinic first opened until the health department intervened.

“There have been attempts at cleaning and disinfecting, but it just wasn’t done appropriately and to standard, which is why we found in our own testing that it wasn’t working to standard,” Tran said in an interview.

It is not yet clear how many patients are affected.

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According to Tran, Snider works with the health department and actively participates in the investigation and assists in notifying patients.

Additionally, Tran says that Snider made the necessary changes to its IPAC practices and stopped using reprocessed instruments and switched to using single-use instruments instead.

“He was cooperative with us throughout the investigation, following our recommendations to stop using reprocessed instruments and switching practices to reduce the risk of infection, and providing notification support,” Tran said.

“Our focus is really on improving practice and reducing the risk of infection and he is fully cooperating.”

The IPAC Lapse report notes that further investigations are ongoing. The health unit said it consulted with Public Health Ontario and informed the Department of Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) of the findings.

Snider’s CPSO registry shows he has been an active member of the college since May 1990 and graduated from the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1983.

In addition to his private clinic, he also has practice rights at Gray Bruce Health Services in Owen Sound, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital and Woodstock General Hospital, the listing said.

Those wishing to speak to someone from the health unit are asked to fill out this form or leave a message at 1-800-922-0096 ext. 5000

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