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 Concern over mold at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Presbyterian flared in early September when mold was discovered in
the cardiothoracic intensive care unit, forcing the hospital to move
18 patients.
On Thursday, mold-borne illness was discovered in a liver transplant
patient who died at UPMC Montefiore, a second campus of the hospital
with no connection to the cardiothoracic unit, the hospital's
website said.
The two patients who previously died stayed in the same hospital
room in the cardiothoracic unit of UPMC Presbyterian at different
times. The patient in guarded condition was also in that unit.
"As a precaution, we are putting all transplant patients in UPMC
Presbyterian-Montefiore on a new anti-fungal medication even though
there is no sign of infection in any of these patients," Dr. Steven
Shapiro, the hospital's chief medical and scientific officer, wrote
in a blog post.
The hospital performs hundreds of transplants a year.
The mold, commonly found on decaying plants, poses little risk to
most people but can occasionally cause fungal infections in
transplant patients with compromised immune systems, Shapiro wrote.
Lawrence Muscarella, a consultant on hospital safety, said mold
outbreaks like the one UMPC may be experiencing were not uncommon,
but he questioned the urgency with which the hospital addressed the
situation.
A mold-borne infection was discovered in a dead patient as early as
October 2014, according to the hospital, but it was only recently
linked to the current outbreak of infections.
"It appears as if it could have been addressed faster," said
Muscarella, who provides outside expertise to hospitals looking to
eradicate health hazards.
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Muscarella said the mold could have infiltrated the hospital through
the air or through outside contractors.
A hospital official said it addressed the situation as soon as it
became apparent and was monitoring air quality.
"Given the very complicated nature of these patients’ illnesses and
the sporadic and very limited scope of these infections, we marvel
at the care and detective work that found this pattern at all," Tami
Minnier, its chief quality officer, wrote in a blog post.
To control the problem, the hospital has deployed disinfecting
robots that use ultra-violet light to eliminate germs.
It is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, county and state health departments, as well as private
experts and mold remediation specialists, according to its website.
(Editing by Frank McGurty and Peter Cooney)
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