The Veterans Affairs colonoscopy tragedy is getting worse.

Now it is believed a patient was exposed to AIDS through unsterilized equipment.

How could something like this happen?

A colonoscopy is bad enough under normal conditions, but this explanation from the makers of the equipment could send chills down a lot of spines.

"…inadvertently neglecting to appropriately reprocess a specific auxiliary water tube."

As we have talked about before, our aging parents depend upon us to be their advocates.  With reports like this, our help is needed more than ever.

We need to know it's okay to be ever vigilant and to ask questions about our parents' medical care. 

There are some VA patients who probably wished they had asked more about their treatments.

Read VA patient test HIV positive after clinic mistake

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