A Seattle hospital has urged more than 1,300 patients to get tested for hepatitis and HIV after a former surgery technician in Colorado was charged with stealing and swapping syringes.
Rocky Allen, 28, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he took syringes of painkillers from Swedish Medical Center and replaced them with those containing another substance. He was fired from Swedish earlier this year and arrested last month.
Allen worked at Northwest Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle in early 2012 but was fired. He previously worked at Naval Hospital Bremerton in Washington state.
Northwest Hospital says the exposure risk is low, but they're testing affected patients to be safe.
Health officials said this week they'll name two more area medical facilities where Allen worked.
