Health officials in Pasadena, CA said Wednesday that an investigation into an outbreak of pseudomonas aeruginosa at Huntington Hospital linked the incidents to certain duodenoscopes made by Olympus Corp.
In a report released Wednesday, health officials from the community, county and the CDC conducted a follow-up site visit to the hospital on May 20 as part of the investigation that began last August.
Huntington Hospital, Pasadena, CA (Credit: http://ourstory.huntingtonhospital.com)
The nine-month investigation began when the hospital found that some patients had tested positive for pseudomonas aeruginosa following ERCP procedures conducted between January 2013 and August 2015.
In all, 16 cases of the infection were linked to the reusable Olympus duodenoscopes, according to the health officials. Press reports noted that a total of 11 patients may have died since the outbreak, although it was noted that several already had been seriously ill, including some who were being treated for cancer.
The report cited lapses in infection control and cleaning procedures at the hospital along with the scope design, which in some cases reportedly allowed bacteria to transfer among patients.
Health officials noted that since the start of the investigation, no further outbreaks occurred at the hospital.
