Dive Brief:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) initial investigation of four mold-related infection cases between 2014 and 2015 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) failed to find a single source of infection.
- After undergoing organ transplants, the four patients were diagnosed with mucormycosis, a rare mold-related infection. Three patients later died and transplants were suspended at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital while an investigation occurred.
- Although unsure of how the infection may have been transmitted, the CDC report said three patients spent most of their time in one room of the ICU that may have drawn in mold spores from the surrounding area while it drew in air from outside the room. Only one sample of the mold involved, mucomycete, was found in an air sample.
Dive Insight:
This report is only the initial one, with a final CDC report to be released this summer. The mold has been removed from the UPMC facilities and ICU, and a drug therapy is being used to prevent mucormycetes infection.
"UPMC has either completed or is continuing to address the recommendations made by the CDC, such as conducting ongoing monitoring for mold," the Pennsylvania Health Department wrote in a statement. "The Department of Health also will monitor the hospital closely for further mold infections as prevention efforts continue."
Tami Minnier, UPMC Chief Quality Officer said in a statement, "Our hospitals are safe, and we continue to perform life-saving organ transplants in patients who are often rejected by other centers. We will continue to share our findings with peer hospitals worldwide as we create the blueprint to ensure the safest possible environment for patient care."