Patient 'Mad As Hell' After Hepatitis C Outbreak

A patient of cardiac catheterization lab – where officials say four patients were infected with hepatitis C – said he's "mad as hell" over the situation.

The patient is one of the more than 650 cath patients the hospital called in for hepatitis C screening to make sure the disease didn't spread. On Friday officials said they tested 400 but are still waiting to test the other 250.

Hepatitis C is a chronic and sometimes fatal liver disease. Officials how the disease got into the hospital and then spread to the four affected patients.

"I am mad as hell over this," said the patient in an e-mail message. "They might have killed me."

The patient asked that his name be withheld.

Hospital officials said it takes seven to 10 days for the hepatitis C results to be completed.

"This waiting bit is affecting my entire family. My wife especially," the patient said. "You would think they would get right back to (us) ... with a simple pass/fail."

If you are one of the patients who was tested and want to share your experience – good or bad – contact Exeter Patch Editor Jason Claffey at jason.claffey@patch.com or 978-319-8674.

We will protect your identity if you choose.