An ex-nurse in Utah has been handed a five-year federal prison sentence after admitting to infecting patients with hepatitis C through the use of dirty needles. Elet Neilson, 53, previously worked as an emergency room nurse at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden.
The incidents began in 2014. Neilson, reportedly struggling with long overnight shifts, a divorce, and caring for her autistic son, started using injectable painkillers intended for patients. According to reports, she would draw medication into two syringes, administering one to patients and keeping the other for personal use at home. The used needles were then returned to the hospital, where they were inadvertently mixed with clean supplies and used on unsuspecting emergency room patients.
Neilson claimed she was unaware of her own hepatitis C infection at the time. She was only informed of her condition in 2015 by state health officials. In September, she pleaded guilty to two counts of tampering with a consumer product and two counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance.
U.S. District Judge Dee Benson acknowledged that Neilson did not intentionally infect the patients. “This is a case of unintended consequences,” Benson stated, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. “No one has shown me any facts that the defendant intended to transmit a serious disease. It did happen. And that makes this case a remarkably sad one.”
Neilson pleaded guilty to infecting seven individuals. However, the Utah Department of Health estimates that at least 16 people were infected, and approximately 7,200 patients were exposed to the disease, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune.
Many of the infected patients submitted letters to Judge Benson, which Neilson read. These letters detailed the profound impact of hepatitis C, a viral infection that can cause severe liver damage, on their lives. The effects ranged from lengthy treatment regimens to strained intimate relationships. (While commonly spread through contaminated needles, hepatitis C can also be transmitted through unprotected sex.)
One infected individual, identified as Patient Zero, stated in federal court, “I’m not a vindictive person. But I truly hope that people understand this recklessness can’t be tolerated. It really is a troubling thing to go through.” Patient Zero, a regular blood donor, was informed of his hepatitis C infection after receiving a letter from the Red Cross and is now permanently banned from donating blood.
At the sentencing hearing, Neilson offered an emotional apology, telling the judge she was “ravaged with guilt, shame [and] sickness” upon learning the extent of her actions, Fox News reported.
“When I saw and understood through the media that seven other people had the same strain that I did, I was devastated and sickened. I didn’t want to crawl out of my house. I didn’t want to be seen in public. I was physically sick,” she said.
The 53-year-old, who surrendered her nursing license in 2015, has been ordered to report to a facility in Bryan, Texas, by March 2, according to Fox 13.
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Here are some additional details about hepatitis C and its transmission:
This case highlights the importance of safe medical practices and the devastating consequences that can result from negligence and substance abuse.