Cebu_4_2
18th February 2015, 05:18 PM
Exclusive Superbug linked to 2 deaths at UCLA hospital; 100 potentially exposed
http://www.trbimg.com/img-54e512e4/turbine/la-fi-hospital-infections-20150218-001/750/750x422 UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center has begun notifying patients that they may have been exposed to a deadly bacteria. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
By Chad Terhune (http://www.latimes.com/la-bio-chad-terhune-staff.html) contact the reporter
UCLA says seven patients have been infected by drug-resistant superbug
Two patient deaths linked to superbug outbreak at UCLA
More than 100 patients at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center may have been exposed to a potentially deadly bacteria from contaminated medical scopes after similar outbreaks at other hospitals across the country.
The Times has learned that seven UCLA patients have been infected by the drug-resistant superbug known as CRE, and the bacteria may have contributed to two of those patients’ deaths. Those numbers may grow as more patients get tested.
University officials said the exposed patients were treated between October and January.
http://www.trbimg.com/img-54e4e724/turbine/la-sci-sn-cre-outbreak-carbapenem-resistant-enterobacteriaceae-20150218/300/300x169 (http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-cre-outbreak-carbapenem-resistant-enterobacteriaceae-20150218-story.html) What makes CRE superbugs so dangerous? (http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-cre-outbreak-carbapenem-resistant-enterobacteriaceae-20150218-story.html)
In response to questions from The Times, UCLA said it became aware of the outbreak late last month and has begun to notify patients and offer them medical tests. By some estimates, if the infection spreads to a person's bloodstream, CRE can kill 40% to 50% of its patients.
At issue is a specialized endoscope inserted down the throats of about 500,000 patients annually to treat cancers, gallstones and other ailments of the digestive system.
These duodenoscopes are minimally invasive, and doctors credit them for saving lives through early detection and treatment.
Medical experts say the design of some scopes causes them to hold on to bacteria that can be difficult to disinfect through conventional cleaning, so infections are transmitted from patient to patient.
These instruments are not the same type used in more routine endoscopies and colonoscopies.
The procedure in question is known as ERCP, or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The superbug is carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
This bacteria is emerging in the U.S., and it's associated with a high mortality rate. We don't want this circulating anywhere in the community - Dr. Alex Kallen, CDC epidemiologist
Dale Tate, a university spokeswoman, said “the two scopes involved with the infection were immediately removed and UCLA is now utilizing a decontamination process that goes above and beyond the manufacturer and national standards.”
cComments
(http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hospital-infections-20150218-story.html#)
Where's the right blaming illegals and other non-white people? They do it about everything else so why should this be any different? Just look at every other thread on these boards...
affableman
at 4:56 PM February 18, 2015
Add a comment (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hospital-infections-20150218-story.html#) See all comments (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hospital-infections-20150218-story.html#)
State and federal officials are looking into the situation at UCLA as they wrestle with how to respond to the problem industrywide. There have been about a half-dozen outbreaks infecting up to 150 patients since 2012 in Illinois, Pennsylvania and most recently at a well-known Seattle medical center, according to experts.
These outbreaks are raising questions about whether hospitals, medical-device companies and regulators are doing enough to protect patient safety. Some consumer advocates are also calling for greater disclosure to patients of the increased risks for infection before undergoing these procedures.
Let us know if you have been affected by the outbreak at UCLA
(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bwdGrFvyuX1GacR9fHFhL33mmDaZsZuahdRujfT_Ugs/viewform)
Lawrence Muscarella, a hospital-safety consultant and expert on endoscopes in Montgomeryville, Pa., said the recent spate of cases is unprecedented.
“These outbreaks at UCLA and other hospitals could collectively be the most significant instance of disease transmission ever linked to a contaminated reusable medical instrument,” he said.
Dr. Alex Kallen, an epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, said the outbreaks are serious given how difficult this superbug can be to treat and the fact that more cases might be going undetected.
“This bacteria is emerging in the U.S., and it’s associated with a high mortality rate,” Kallen said in an interview. “We don’t want this circulating anywhere in the community.”
http://www.trbimg.com/img-54e512e4/turbine/la-fi-hospital-infections-20150218-001/750/750x422 UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center has begun notifying patients that they may have been exposed to a deadly bacteria. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
By Chad Terhune (http://www.latimes.com/la-bio-chad-terhune-staff.html) contact the reporter
UCLA says seven patients have been infected by drug-resistant superbug
Two patient deaths linked to superbug outbreak at UCLA
More than 100 patients at UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center may have been exposed to a potentially deadly bacteria from contaminated medical scopes after similar outbreaks at other hospitals across the country.
The Times has learned that seven UCLA patients have been infected by the drug-resistant superbug known as CRE, and the bacteria may have contributed to two of those patients’ deaths. Those numbers may grow as more patients get tested.
University officials said the exposed patients were treated between October and January.
http://www.trbimg.com/img-54e4e724/turbine/la-sci-sn-cre-outbreak-carbapenem-resistant-enterobacteriaceae-20150218/300/300x169 (http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-cre-outbreak-carbapenem-resistant-enterobacteriaceae-20150218-story.html) What makes CRE superbugs so dangerous? (http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-cre-outbreak-carbapenem-resistant-enterobacteriaceae-20150218-story.html)
In response to questions from The Times, UCLA said it became aware of the outbreak late last month and has begun to notify patients and offer them medical tests. By some estimates, if the infection spreads to a person's bloodstream, CRE can kill 40% to 50% of its patients.
At issue is a specialized endoscope inserted down the throats of about 500,000 patients annually to treat cancers, gallstones and other ailments of the digestive system.
These duodenoscopes are minimally invasive, and doctors credit them for saving lives through early detection and treatment.
Medical experts say the design of some scopes causes them to hold on to bacteria that can be difficult to disinfect through conventional cleaning, so infections are transmitted from patient to patient.
These instruments are not the same type used in more routine endoscopies and colonoscopies.
The procedure in question is known as ERCP, or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The superbug is carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
This bacteria is emerging in the U.S., and it's associated with a high mortality rate. We don't want this circulating anywhere in the community - Dr. Alex Kallen, CDC epidemiologist
Dale Tate, a university spokeswoman, said “the two scopes involved with the infection were immediately removed and UCLA is now utilizing a decontamination process that goes above and beyond the manufacturer and national standards.”
cComments
(http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hospital-infections-20150218-story.html#)
Where's the right blaming illegals and other non-white people? They do it about everything else so why should this be any different? Just look at every other thread on these boards...
affableman
at 4:56 PM February 18, 2015
Add a comment (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hospital-infections-20150218-story.html#) See all comments (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hospital-infections-20150218-story.html#)
State and federal officials are looking into the situation at UCLA as they wrestle with how to respond to the problem industrywide. There have been about a half-dozen outbreaks infecting up to 150 patients since 2012 in Illinois, Pennsylvania and most recently at a well-known Seattle medical center, according to experts.
These outbreaks are raising questions about whether hospitals, medical-device companies and regulators are doing enough to protect patient safety. Some consumer advocates are also calling for greater disclosure to patients of the increased risks for infection before undergoing these procedures.
Let us know if you have been affected by the outbreak at UCLA
(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bwdGrFvyuX1GacR9fHFhL33mmDaZsZuahdRujfT_Ugs/viewform)
Lawrence Muscarella, a hospital-safety consultant and expert on endoscopes in Montgomeryville, Pa., said the recent spate of cases is unprecedented.
“These outbreaks at UCLA and other hospitals could collectively be the most significant instance of disease transmission ever linked to a contaminated reusable medical instrument,” he said.
Dr. Alex Kallen, an epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, said the outbreaks are serious given how difficult this superbug can be to treat and the fact that more cases might be going undetected.
“This bacteria is emerging in the U.S., and it’s associated with a high mortality rate,” Kallen said in an interview. “We don’t want this circulating anywhere in the community.”