Health officials canceled elective surgeries at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center after mold was found in a room used to sterilize surgical equipment, according to an article on the Los Angeles Times website.
The Boyle Heights hospital will be unable to perform surgery and many other medical procedures for an estimated two weeks, according to an internal hospital email sent on Sept. 25.
The Central Sterile processing room, which disinfects all [operating room] and procedural supplies for clinical areas, is suffering from severe water damage and mold contamination and must be closed immediately,” according to the email.
The 600-bed facility, one of the largest public hospitals in the country, can still disinfect a small amount of surgical equipment, that will be used for trauma cases. All other procedures, except dentistry, which sterilizes its equipment at an alternative location, would be canceled.
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