Dive Brief:
- Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, CA has notified authorities of multiple superbug infections among patients treated with duodenoscopes--the same devices responsible for numerous other outbreaks identified earlier this year around the US.
- The hospital reported that it discovered the possible outbreak in June through a review of lab samples, and that three patient infections have been detected so far.
- The hospital said it has adopted safety measures that include quarantining disinfected scopes for 48 hours and examining them for bacterial growth before reuse, but it didn't say when that measure was implemented.
Dive Insight:
The possibility of yet another outbreak highlights the continued challenge that hospitals face in disinfecting and inspecting duodenoscopes, which have been found able to trap bacteria even when cleaned according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Despite the risks to patients, the devices have been kept on the market because they are still considered the best alternative for many patients. However, some medical experts warn that the number of related infections could be much higher than realized.
The continued infections can be expected to put renewed pressure on the FDA and the device manufacturers--which have previously been criticized for their lack of action--to resolve the issues of patient safety.