South Nassau Communities Hospital is sending out 4,247 letters to patients recommending they be tested for hepatitis B and C and HIV because of the risk of infection from an insulin pen. In the letter dated Feb. 22, the Oceanside hospital said the patients may have received insulin from an insulin pen reservoir -- not the pen's single-use disposable needle -- that could have been used with more than one patient. An insulin pen for those with diabetes is a pre-filled syringe meant to be used to dispense insulin in a single patient.
