Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va, canceled all elective surgeries after sandlike particles were found on sterilized surgical trays and instruments, according to an article on the WTOP website.
“This particulate matter is non-biological; it’s nonprotein, so there is no risk of infection. It appears to be like little particles of sand that are on the trays that show up against a white background,” said Dr. Scott Betzelos, vice president and chief medical officer at Inova.
The hospital said it has canceled elective procedures out of an abundance of caution, and emergency surgeries took place using particle-free trays and instruments.
The sandlike particles appear to be from the sterilization process, according to the hospital.
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