Superbug Outbreak Tied To Redesigned Olympus Medical Scope
The devicemaker modified the scope's design to reduce the risk of spreading bacteria, but an FDA report shows that five patients treated with the same device were infected. In other patient safety news, a doctor's new treatment for sepsis holds promise and an ex-compounding pharmacy exec is acquitted of murder allegations, but found guilty of fraud and racketeering in meningitis outbreak case.
Los Angeles Times:
Olympus' Redesigned Scope Linked To Infection Outbreak
Doctors have tied a superbug outbreak at a foreign health facility to a medical scope that Olympus modified last year in an attempt to reduce its risk of spreading bacteria between patients. Five patients treated with the modified device tested positive for the same potentially deadly bacteria, according to a report filed with the Food and Drug Administration. (Petersen, 3/22)
NPR:
Doctor Turns Up Possible Treatment For Deadly Sepsis
It's hard not to get excited about news of a potentially effective treatment for sepsis, a condition that leads to multiple organ failure and kills more people in the hospital than any other disease. But there have been so many false promises about this condition over the years, it's also wise to treat announcements — like one published online by the journal, Chest — with caution. The study, from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va., reported some remarkable success in treating patients who were at high risk of sudden death. (Harris, 3/23)
The Associated Press:
Ex-Pharmacy Exec Convicted In Deadly Meningitis Outbreak
The former head of a Massachusetts pharmacy was acquitted Wednesday of murder allegations but convicted of racketeering and other crimes in a meningitis outbreak that was traced to fungus-contaminated drugs and killed 64 people across the country. Prosecutors said Barry Cadden, 50, ran the business in an ‘‘extraordinarily dangerous’’ way by disregarding unsanitary conditions to boost production and make more money. (Lavoie, 3/22)