Protecting families from contaminated food and water
All fields are required
Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog,Outbreaks & Recalls on June 28, 2023
Outbreak investigation at Virgina Mason Medical Center.
People go to hospitals because they are sick and in need of medical attention. Those who stay in the hospital are supposed to get better, not worse. The health care profession is supposed to heal, not cause additional infections in their patients. But that is not always the case.
Hospital acquired infections are more common than you would think. Sometimes these infections can be deadly.
According to Public Health – Seattle and King County, 33 patients at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle have been infected with Klebsiella bacteria since October of last year. So far, 9 have died from this outbreak.
While it may be unclear if the deaths were caused by the infection, these unfortunate patients all had at least two things in common.
— They were all patients at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle
— They all were infected with the outbreak strain
According to the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Community Resource page, the first recorded infection dates back to October 10, 2022. The most recent reported infection was confirmed on May 4, 2023.
Officials have been unable to determine the cause of the outbreak.
“These types of outbreaks are complex and despite thorough investigation, we may never know the source,” said Dr. Eric Chow, chief of communicable disease epidemiology & immunization for Public Health.
According to Public Health, Klebsiella pneumonia infection is not uncommon in hospitals. Aside from the tragic deaths attributed to this outbreak, if this is a common occurrence, why do these infections warrant an investigation?
According to reports, the rate of this outbreak has increased from the hospital’s baseline rate.
Despite the hospital’s awareness of the outbreak, the investigation has not been able to uncover a source for the outbreak.
“Beginning in October 2022, Virginia Mason Medical Center detected an increase in cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria at our downtown campus,” said Virginia Mason Medical Center Interim President, Sydney Bersante. “We immediately implemented increased safety measures, notified patients who had tested positive for the bacteria, and promptly provided treatment where necessary.”
According to the statement, “the risk of transmission is extremely low for patients.” However, the hospital will “continue to take proactive steps to avoid additional transmission. They continue to investigate the source of the outbreak jointly with local and state public health partners.
The hospital maintains a neutral stance on indicating whether the deaths were caused by the infection, or those who perished happened to have the infection along with another cause for death.
“Due to the medical complexity of these patients’ conditions, it is difficult to determine whether Klebsiella pneumoniae caused or contributed to their deaths,” reads the statement.
They will, however, continue to work toward identifying the source of the infection to reduce the risk of additional illnesses.
Klebsiella, pronounced [keb-see-ell-uh] is a bacteria that, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can cause several health-care associated infections. These include pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound or surgical site infections, and meningitis.
Generally, the bacteria lives safely in the human intestines and stool (feces). Here, the bacteria cause no major illness. It is when this bacterium migrates out of its home that people start getting sick.
In healthcare settings, Klebsiella infection are common among patients being treated for other conditions. Patients treated with certain devices such as ventilators, intravenous catheters, and extended treatment with certain antibiotics.
Fortunately, healthy people do not usually become infected when exposed to Klebsiella bacteria. However, when infection does occur, it happens when the bacteria make its way into the respiratory tract or blood to cause pneumonia or bloodstream infections respectively.
In healthcare settings, this exposure can be spread through person-to-person contact or via medical tools.
The bacteria are not generally spread through the air. Person-to-person transmission often occurs at the hands of healthcare personnel transferring germs from patient to patient via contaminated hands. Less commonly, a gross contaminated environment can be responsible, with bacteria being transferred from environment to patient via contaminated hands.
Medical tools such as ventilators and IV catheters, or incisions can contribute to the spread of Klebsiella bacteria. These tools provide conditions that may allow the bacteria to enter the body and cause infection.
Infections that are not drug resistant can be treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately, Klebsiella infections have increasingly developed antibacterial resistance, making the illness more difficult to treat.
Laboratory tests must be performed to determine which antibiotics will treat the infection, often by culturing the bacteria in a medium that simulates antibiotic treatment with various drugs.
The outbreak strain, in this case, has been found to be resistant to some – but not all – antibiotics.
Unfortunately, the source of infection has yet to be identified, and according to Public Health – Seatle and King County, it may never be identified. The hospital continues to work with the CDC, however many factors contribute to the elusiveness of the source.
First, there is no clear incubation period for this type of infection. In some cases, people may not show symptoms for weeks or even months after exposure. This makes identifying when and where they were exposed very difficult.
In many cases, patients with multiple concurrent illnesses tend to be hospitalized longer or for multiple times over a period of time. Those treated in multiple areas in a hospital or undergo more than one procedure have increased opportunities for exposure, making it difficult to pinpoint origin.
Environmental sampling is not completely effective in a medical setting. A negative result from an environmental sample does not completely rule out a source, as most areas are regularly disinfected, often several times a day.
As Dr. Eric Chow, Chief of Communicable Disease for Public Health – Seatle & King County put it, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.
“Environmental testing for a specific strain of bacteria can be like finding a needle in a haystack, especially because bacteria can be found in places such as sinks or drains. That’s why continued diligence by hospitals in infection control, including hand hygiene is so critical.”
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Hospital acquired infections are always a risk. Preventing measures such as hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and appropriate sterile conditions are the best ways to reduce the risk of infection.
The number of cases has decreased over the past several months. This is a promising sign. But with 9 deaths on their hands, it is no time for the hospital to lower its guard.
People seek medical care because they need help. Becoming more sick after you get there instead of feeling better is a terrible situation to be in. If you or someone you know has experienced this type of hospital acquired infection and would like to discuss your rights, reach out to an experienced attorney, such as The Lange Law Firm, for a free consultation. Email them here or call (833) 330-3663 for help navigating your situation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)