More than 100 patients may have been infected by a "superbug" bacteria during procedures at the UCLA Health System and 2 have died.
More than 100 patients may have been infected by a “superbug” bacterium during procedures at the UCLA Health System, according to a recent statement.
These patients were exposed to the bacteria during endoscopic procedures between October 2014 and January 2015 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. A total of 7 patients have been infected and 2 have died.
“…an internal investigation determined that carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) bacteria may have been transmitted during a procedure that uses this specialized scope to diagnose and treat pancreaticobiliary diseases and may have been a contributing factor in the death of two patients,” according to a statement from the health system.
The potentially infected patients are being offered free home testing kits that UCLA would analyze. According to the CDC, up to half of patients who contract CRE are killed by the bacteria.
The Associated Press reported that 179 total patients were exposed to this deadly superbug resistant to antibiotics. UCLA said that the scopes were sterilized according to the manufacturer’s standards.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. In 2013, 44 Illinois residents were infected with CRE. Bacteria were found on 3 endoscopic devices, but there were no problems found with the hospital’s cleaning methods, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A study from the Medical University of South Carolina from September found that the chances of infections acquired in the hospital becoming drug resistant increase 1% for each day a patient is hospitalized. Furthermore, approximately 1 in 25 hospitalized patients have at least 1 hospital-acquired infection.
In fiscal year 2015, CMS will penalize more than 700 hospitals for poor performance in the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, which is scored on patient safety and healthcare-associated infections. The program encourages hospitals to reduce hospital-acquired conditions and improve patient safety through financial incentives. This year, hospitals with high scores in hospital-acquired conditions will see their payments reduced by 1% for all discharges.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was among the hospitals penalized for its score of 8.7 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Early Involvement Critical in Treating Immunotherapy-Induced Overlap Syndrome
April 19th 2024A series of case studies reveals the importance of early diagnosis and involvement of special teams of clinicians when dealing with potential cases of overlap syndrome, which encompasses myocarditis, myasthenia gravis, and immune checkpoint inhibitor–related myositis.
Read More
Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
Listen
Making Giant Strides in Maternity Health Through Baby Steps
April 9th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are kicking off a special month-long podcast series with our strategic alliance partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our first episode, which is all about the Baby Steps Maternity Program and its mission to support women throughout every step of their pregnancy journey.
Listen
Government agencies have created an online portal for the public to report potential anticompetitive practices in health care; there are changes coming to the “boxed warning” section for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies (CAR T) to highlight T-cell blood cancer risk; questions about the safety of obesity medications during pregnancy have arisen in women on them who previously struggled with fertility issues.
Read More
Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights Into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
Read More