Tainted Scopes Suspected Infections at Pasadena Hospital

Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena is investigating a possible outbreak of a superbug infection linked to a medical scope. The hospital has not released the number of patients infected. All have been contacted by the hospital.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Olympus duodenoscopes were used to treat the patients. The scopes are suspected of harboring bacteria that is passed from patient to patient when reused, even though they have been sterilized. The scopes have now been quarantined by the hospital.

Similar outbreaks have been reported at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and at other hospitals across the country.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to Olympus stating:

Failure to report to FDA no later than 30 calendar days after the day that your firm received or otherwise became aware of information, from any source, that reasonably suggests that a device that your firm markets may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury.

Dr. Paula Verrette, senior vice president and chief medical officer for quality and physician services at Huntington Memorial, told The Times, “This is a problem facing every hospital. We cannot deprive appropriate care to patients whose health issues can be relieved or addressed through the use of these scopes, but we are proceeding with an abundance of caution in our disinfecting and monitoring protocols to ensure patient safety.”