Welcome to Law Med Blog’s special Nevada Hepatitis C Case pages. Here you will find all of our coverage of the shocking events and fallout from the unsafe practices of two Nevada endoscopy clinics which led to the state recommending that ~50,000 patients be tested for Hepatitis A, B,  C and HIV.

At the heart of the scare was alleged improper handling of the anesthetic agent propofol, used to sedate patients for their exams. Propofol is supplied in single dose packaging and is well known to allow the growth of bacteria and viruses in its solution due to its unique formulation which includes protein. Because of this propofol must be used within hours of being opened.  Strict administration procedures are to be followed which include single patient use for each vial and single use of any syringe or needle used to administer the drug. Any bacterial or viral agent introduced to the propofol can survive and multiple, unlike in most drugs where it would not survive. Transferring a pathogen from one patient to another can readily occur when these procedures are not followed.It is alleged that two Las Vegas area endoscopy centers routinely ignored this strict protocol resulting in the exposure of upwards of 50,000 patients to contamination. However, this has yet to be proven.

In addition, the clinics are also alleged to have improperly cleaned and sterilized endoscopy equipment, which is also a potential source for the contamination and transmission of Hepatitis C.

Criminal charges have been filed and the accused await trial, and over 200 civil lawsuits have been filed. We are covering it all.

• Settlements Reached In 41 Las Vegas Hepatitis C Lawsuits February 22, 2012 Clark County District Court Judge Jennifer Togliatti has approved settlements involving Teva Parenteral Medicines Inc. and other companies after nine days of negotiations which were brought about by a Nevada Supreme Court order. The state high court dubbe...
• Prosecutor: Videotaped Deposition Of Dying Nevada Hepatitis C Victim Needed February 8, 2012 In papers asking to take his videotaped deposition filed in court Monday, Clark County NV Chief District Attorney Mike Staudaher said the hepatitis C virus has left Rodolfo Meana, 76, terminally ill, and he could die at any moment.  Meana's hepatitis C c...
• Judge Rules Dr. Desai Competent For Trial In Nevada Hepatitis C Case February 4, 2012 Citing a report from  two psychiatrists and a psychologist at a state mental facility in Sparks who found that Dipak Desai is "competent and obviously exaggerating his symptoms" from strokes in September 2007 and July 2008 to avoid trial, Clark County Dis...
• Desai Competancy Hearing Held Friday In Nevada Hepatitis C Case January 29, 2012 The issue of the competency of Dr. Dipak Desai to stand trial was again before Clark County District Court Judge Kathleen Delaney on Friday. Back in February of 2011 two court appointed medical experts found Desai incompetent for trial and he was ordered ...
• Juries Slap Propofol Companies With Over $280M Damages In Hep C Cases October 15, 2011 Two separate juries have levied a combined total of over $250 Million in punitive damages for 5 plaintiffs in two separate trials. The plaintiffs were suing after they contracted Hepatitis C from what their lawyers argued was contaminated propofol. The de...
• Nevada Hepatitis C Outbreak Lawsuit Update [VIDEO] September 26, 2011 As one of the Hepatitis C civil trials continues in a Nevada courtroom, emotional testimony was heard from Anne Arnold, who contracted the disease during an endoscopic procedure at a clinic run by Dr. Desai in 2007. Equally heart wrenching testimony came ...
• Dr. Desai Now Competant to Stand Trial Say His Doctors September 23, 2011 On February 8, Dr. Dipak Desai was determined incompetent to stand trial on a 28 count criminal indictment for his role in owning and operating 2 Nevada endoscopy clinics where shoddy practices and disregard for vital protocols led to 250 patients alleged...
• Second Hepatitis C Trial Underway Against Propofol Maker August 29, 2011 Teva and Baxter Pharmaceuticals are in a Nevada court for the second time defending against allegations that improper packaging and labeling contributed to contamination of the anesthetic drug propofol with the Hepatitis C virus. Three Las Vegas residents...
• Nevada Supreme Court Issues important Evidence Rulings In Hepatitis C Cases July 30, 2011 We previously discussed the case of Henry Chanin, 62, who sued Teva Parenteral Medicines Inc. and Baxter Healthcare Corp., the two companies that made and distributed, respectively, the anesthetic propofol used at Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center, where Cha...
• Teva Wins HUGE In Propofol Case Credit U.S. Supreme Court June 24, 2011 It has been over a year since we told you about a jury verdict in Nevada against Teva Pharmaceuticals a while ago that cost them $500 Million Dollars. The case involved a Nevada resident who contracted Hepatitis C allegedly from contaminated propofol, the...
• Dr. Desai's Office Manager Feels "Betrayed" April 29, 2011 Indicted Witness in Hepatitis C Case Upset From The Las Vegas Review Journal By Jeff German Tonya Rushing, a key witness in the district attorney's criminal case against Dr. Dipak Desai, lashed out at federal prosecutors Thursday, a day after they indic...
• Dipak Desai Now Facing Federal Charges But Will He Ever Be Tried? April 29, 2011 Dr. Dipak Desai is in more trouble. As expected, a federal grand jury has now indicted him and his chief operating officer for medicare fraud. These charges are in addition to the long list of state criminal charges pending against him. Desai is currently...
• Broke: Dr Desai Victims Unlikely to Collect in Nevada Hepatitis C Outbreak April 9, 2011 Before his current status as a revoked licensed physician and court ordered resident in the secured Lake Crossing psychiatric facility, Dr. Dipak Desai was making money hand over fist from the endoscopy centers he owned in the Las Vegas, Nevada area. Now,...
• Nevada Urologist's Patients Advised Get Tested For Hepatitis March 28, 2011 There is another Hepatitis/HIV scare in Nevada. Dr. Michael Kaplan has had his license to practice suspended and his patients have been notified they need to get tested. It all stems from the doctor reusing single use needle guides during biopsy procedure...
• Nevada Dr. Desai Led In Handcuffs To Mental Hospital March 21, 2011 As previously ordered by the court after being found incompetent to stand trial, Dr. Dipak Desai has been placed in custody and taken to a psychiatric facility to determine if and how he can be rehabilitated back to competency. From The Las Vegas Sun Do...
• Nevada Supreme Court To Make Crucial Hepatitis Case Evidence Determination March 8, 2011 Attorney Robert Eglet argues before the Nevada Supreme Court in Carson City on Monday. Justices heard arguments over whether jurors should hear about other possible causes for the hepatitis C among patients who underwent procedures at endoscopy clinics...
• Judge Orders Year Long Delay In Nevada Hep C Criminal Trial March 8, 2011 LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL By Jeff German District Judge Donald Mosley on Monday ordered a yearlong delay in the trial of Dr. Dipak Desai and two nurse anesthetists charged in the 2007 hepatitis C outbreak.     The trial was set to take p...
• Serious Questions Exist About Cause Of Nevada Hepatitis C Outbreak March 4, 2011 In what can only be described as EXPLOSIVE revelations, very serious questions are raised about the allegations made against a number of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) regarding their handling of the drug propofol and the relation of thes...
• Teva Appeals $500M Verdict In Nevada Hep C Case: Serious Issues March 4, 2011 Serious questions exist in the procedures of Clark County Judge Jessie Walsh where Henry Chanin, 62, sued Teva Parenteral Medicines Inc. and Baxter Healthcare Corp., the two companies that made and distributed, respectively, the anesthetic propofol use...
• Prosecutor Doesn't Buy Dr. Desai's Claimed Mental Impairment February 25, 2011 Prosecutor says Desai's statements, evaluations don't add up. By Paul Harasim FROM THE LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL         After Dr. Dipak Desai was found incompetent to face criminal charges stemming from a 2007 hepatitis C outbreak, the ...
• CRNA Defense Lawyer Seeks Delay In Nevada Hep C Propofol Trial February 25, 2011 The attorney for 74 y/o CRNA Keith H. Mathahs wants more time to obtain discovery before trial...which is currently scheduled for March 14th. The Judge is not amused. Lawyer presses for delay in trial of nurses connected to hepatitis C outbreak By Jeff ...
• The Road to Incompetent to Stand Trial for Dr Desai February 10, 2011 On February 8, Dr. Dipak Desai was determined incompetent to stand trial on a 28 count criminal indictment for his role in owning and operating 2 Nevada endoscopy clinics where shoddy practices and disregard for vital protocols led to over 100 patients co...
• Law Med Launches Nevada Hepatitis C Propofol Contamination Page February 10, 2011 With criminal trials scheduled for this spring and more than 100 civil lawsuits already filed, the Nevada endoscopy clinic propofol contamination nightmare is heating up nearly 3 years after the story broke, we are launching ourNevada Hepatitis C Case Pag...
• Nevada Dr Desai Found Incompetent to Stand Trial in Propofol Case February 9, 2011 Dr. Dipak Desai has been ordered to surrender into custody in March for admission to a state medical facility for evaluation after two court-appointed medical experts from Las Vegas ,  psychologist Shera D. Bradley and psychiatrist Dr. Michael S. Krelstei...
• Desai, Mathahs Plead Not Guilty In Vegas Hepatitis C Case June 12, 2010 Dr. Dipak Desai, age 60, and nurse anesthetist Keith Mathahs, age 74, plead not guilty Friday in relation to the 28 count indictments against them for their roles in the GI Clinic-propofol hepatitis c exposure to ~40,000 patients. Desai is free on $1 mill...
• Dr. Desai, Two Nurse Anesthetists Indicted For Las Vegas Hepatitis C Outbreak June 5, 2010 Physician under sweeping indictment on 28 criminal counts related to the Nevada Hepatitis C contamination and patient infection outbreak. Two Nurse Anesthetists also charged. Includes multiple felonies. From Courthouse News Service LAS VEGAS (CN) - Th...
• Indictments of Dr. Desai and CRNAs Follows $500 Million Award to Hepatitis C Victim June 5, 2010 We previously reported on the record breaking $500 million jury award for Henry Chanin, who contracted Hepatitis C from improper injection of the drug after it had been used on another patient. Teva and Baxter, both pharmaceutical companies were on the ho...
• Attorney Seeks $1 Billion In Punitive Damages In Hep C Propofol Trial May 6, 2010 The attorney for the lead plaintiff in the case against two drug companies found liable for a Las Vegas man’s hepatitis C infection asked jurors Thursday to award more than $1 billion in punitive damages, saying their verdict should make a statement aga...