The CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean announced on Friday that it had to revise thousands of pathology and cytology samples and reports, due to possible analysis errors by one of its employees.
These samples were analyzed by the same CIUSSS employee, who had been employed for just over a year and a half. This pathologist has withdrawn himself for the time of the investigation, said in a press release Friday the deputy director of communications and public affairs of the CIUSSS.
A total of 8,000 samples and pathology reports will be re-analyzed to ensure there are no irregularities. They were collected between 1er October 2021 and May 18, 2023. The patients targeted are in the regions of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec.
The people concerned by this exercise will be contacted by the CIUSSS in the coming days, assured the latter. The institution has also put a website online that its users can consult, which it will update as the situation evolves.
“We are aware that this news can cause concern, commented on Twitter the Minister of Health Christian Dubé. We want to reassure the [population] : all citizens who may be affected by the irregularities in certain tests will be contacted in the coming days and taken care of by health professionals. […] We are monitoring the situation very closely. Everything is done to ensure the health and safety of citizens. »
4000 tests revised in priority
The type of tests where irregularities could be found relate, for example, to biopsies, samples taken during surgeries, gynecological examinations and post-delivery examinations, indicates the CIUSSS.
Note that positive biopsies (where people have been diagnosed with cancer) have already been validated by two pathologists. There is therefore no risk of error for these.
Of the 8,000 samples that will be analyzed again, 4,000 will be analyzed on a priority basis, indicated the CIUSSS. Examinations related to hematology (blood) and oncology (cancer) have been prioritized.
People whose samples will be reviewed do not have to take new samples. Their samples already taken have a lifespan of 20 years, can we read on the CIUSSS website.
It would be by doing additional examinations on analyzes carried out during this year and a half that the health establishment realized that everything was not in conformity, reported the newspaper. The Daily Friday.
A voluntary gesture on the part of the health professional involved is not envisaged, also indicates the article.
The six CIUSSS pathologists perform 40,000 analyzes per year, according to The Daily.
For any questions, affected citizens can also contact 1-833-681-0976.