A clinic in Las Vegas was accused of substandard practices that posed risk of blood-borne infections to the patients and was shut down by the city. Almost 40,000 people who received treatment there are being urged to be tested for HIV and other blood-borne infections like hepatitis C, according to US officials.

The breach in patients’ safety was confirmed after an investigation revealed that the center had been involved in ‘unsafe injection practices.’ Those who received injections from March 2004 to January 2008 at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada must get themselves tested.

The business license of the center was suspended on Friday afternoon by Mayor Oscar Goodman. The four doctors who names are on the license can appeal the decision to city staff and, ultimately, to District Court.

Health official said the patients’ were put at a huge risk by the clinic as it did not dispose the syringes and vials of medication after use. The same instruments were used for different patients.

The syringes and other medical instruments that come in contact with the blood of patients’ are only supposed to be used once and discarded. There are great chances of infecting subsequent patients if once the needle is injected into a carrier of Hepatitis or HIV positive patient.

Six cases of hepatitis C have already been identified at the clinic, five of which stemmed from procedures on the same day in September involving anesthesia.

The Southern Nevada Health District determined that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.”

The Endoscopy Center affirmed that it had now changed its practices, saying, "All concerns noted by the health department were addressed immediately. We want to be sure that every patient who may have been exposed is informed and tested.”