Woman joins planned suit against UPMC over use of unclean probes

A Harmony woman is terrified after receiving a call from UPMC Jameson letting her know she may have contracted a disease from an internal ultrasound.

She is now being represented by Dallas Hartman, who plans to file a class-action lawsuit against UPMC on Friday morning.

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"My heart just stopped and I was completely terrified and still am. I’m not any less scared I’m just trying to take the next step and be reactive toward what’s happening," Rosa Salgado told WPXI.

When Salgado first got the phone call about possible exposure, she was told to get tested for a list of diseases including HIV, hepatitis and various STDs.

UPMC said the exposure risk is extremely low, and Dr. Amesh Adalja, a scholar with Johns Hopkins, agrees.

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"These probes on ultrasounds are often covered with a protective sheath which is another barrier," he said. "In this case, i don't suspect we're going to see any infections arise from it."

But that isn't stopping Salgado and her attorney Dallas Hartman from moving forward with a class action lawsuit.

"We are looking to hold UPMC accountable. Policies and procedures exist for a reason to prevent his from happening," Hartman said.

Between 75 and 100 people have already reached out to Hartman, he said, and the lawsuit should be filed Friday morning.

Cox Media Group