N.L. health authority says test errors not reported to executives in timely way

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland's largest health authority says an internal review shows testing errors for cyclosporine at its biochemistry lab were not reported to executives in a timely manner.

The review released today also shows literature was not reviewed before an analyzer was used to test for cyclosporine, a drug used on patients whose immune systems are threatened by disease or as a result of an organ transplant.

Eastern Health says fewer patients are now believed to have been affected by the test errors, which took place between June 10, 2009, and Feb. 12, 2010.

It says 212 patients were affected and of those eight have since died, although Eastern Health hasn't said whether there is any direct link between the testing problems and the deaths.

The authority has already apologized to the parents of a 14-year-old boy who was given too much cyclosporine, which exacerbated the child's already critically ill condition.

The misreading of results can result in patients being given too much of the drug.

The review also found that initial concerns about one of the analyzers were raised on Jan. 18, but it wasn't determined until Feb. 12 that it was providing incorrect results.

The machine that produced the incorrect results was installed at Eastern Health last April.