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LAURINBURG — An outbreak of hepatitis C in Scotland County may be tied to suspected unsafe medical practices at the cardiology practice of Laurinburg’s mayor, according to the state medical board. Dr. Matthew Block, a cardiologist at Scotland Cardiology, agreed to quit performing a procedure that might have infected some of his patients with the sometimes-fatal disease, according to an Aug. 27 disciplinary order from the state medical board. Block said in a statement released Friday that he was devastated by the news of the infections. “I will work hard with the Department of Health to ensure that everything possible is done to ensure the health and safety of my patients,” Block said. “I have run my nuclear laboratory to conform with the highest national standards and find it just simply unbelievable that something like this may have occurred. I believe anyone who has been a patient of mine knows how much I value each one. I will see this through in the best way I can to help those affected and will continue to be available to my patients.” Hepatitis C is a liver disease that can sometimes cause acute illness, but most often becomes a chronic condition that can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Some patients end up needing a liver transplant.
The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood of an infected person. There is no vaccine for the virus and no cure for the disease. The procedure in question is a nuclear stress test, which involves injecting a radioactive substance into the blood stream as a way to check for inadequate blood flow in the heart. A state Department of Public Health investigation revealed that unsafe medical practices could have been used during the nuclear stress tests, possibly causing seven patients to acquire the disease. Ron Sapp, director of the Scotland County Health Department, said he wasn’t sure what the “unsafe procedures” were. The state health department sent out a news release Friday asking patients who took a nuclear stress test at Scotland Cardiology between June 25, 2007, and Aug. 26, 2008, to get tested by their doctor for hepatitis C and other infectious agents. The department said it would send letters to patients who had received the test. A copy of the letter is posted on the N.C. Public Health Web site at www.ncpublichealth.com. The news release said there was only a small chance of infection. Block — who was elected mayor of Laurinburg last year — has agreed to quit performing the tests, according to the disciplinary order. No further action on the matter is expected, said Jean Fisher Brinkley, a spokeswoman for the state medical board. The revelations about the hepatitis infections comes as Block is awaiting a hearing with the medical board over allegations he inappropriately prescribed drugs to a family member and employees. The notice, issued July 9, alleged that Block prescribed drugs to a former employee for the purpose of diverting the prescription to a family member that suffered from alcohol abuse, bipolar disorder, chronic kidney disease and bulimia and anorexia. Other allegations were also made in the notice. None of the allegations have been substantiated. The hearing is expected to take place Oct. 15. http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=303220
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