Focus: Infection Control

Widow sues Olympus over scope-related superbug outbreak
Case is the first to go to trial in the U.S. stemming from a series of superbug outbreaks
A Seattle widow's case against Olympus Corp is the first to go to trial in the U.S. stemming from a series of deadly superbug outbreaks across the country that were linked to contaminated medical scopes, according to an article on the Kaiser Health News website.
She is suing Olympus Corp., claiming that one of its tainted devices caused the infection that led to her husband’s death in August 2013.
According to her suit, Olympus executives remained silent for too long about a design flaw that hindered cleaning of these reusable scopes.
The Seattle case may serve as a bellwether for future litigation, the article said. It also offers a preview of the evidence federal prosecutors in New Jersey could use against Olympus in a possible criminal case.
June 26, 2017
Topic Area: Infection Control
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