Mother says newborn died from fungus at New Orleans hospital

Children's Hospital said that five pediatric patients died over 11 months ending in July 2009 following an outbreak of a deadly infection caused by fungi present in dirt and decaying organic matter


A mother believes her newborn was one of the fatalities from a 2008 fungus at New Orleans' Children’s Hospital, according to The Times-Picayune website.

Children’s Hospital recently said that five pediatric patients died over 11 months ending in July 2009 following an outbreak of a deadly infection caused by fungi present in dirt and decaying organic matter.

The hospital said that after it became aware of the outbreak in June 2009, it “aggressively” sought to address the problem by contacting public health officials, according to the article.

But it doesn’t appear the hospital, the state Department of Health and Hospitals or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did anything to notify the public or patients that the outbreak happened at Children’s, the article said.

Louisiana has no laws requiring hospitals to publicly report hospital acquired infections or hospital outbreaks.

Some hospitals do self-report select hospital safety data including some infections to the CDC’s National Health Care Safety Network as a requirement of getting Medicare reimbursement dollars, but Children’s is exempt from doing so because it is a pediatric facility.

Thirty-one other states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring hospitals to report hospital-acquired infection rates, the article said.

Read the article and watch the video.

 



April 25, 2014


Topic Area: Maintenance and Operations


Recent Posts

Case Study: AdventHealth Altamonte Springs Completes Canopy Solar Project

The 3-megawatt photovoltaic system is now powering approximately a third of the corporate campus's electricity needs with solar energy.


How Carilion Clinic Cut HAIs by Over 50 Percent with IPC Expansion

An investment in infection prevention staffing during the pandemic led to improvements in patient safety and key quality metrics.


AtlantiCare and Select Medical Celebrate Construction Milestone for New Facility

The two healthcare organizations are collaborating to build a 60-bed, all-private-room inpatient rehabilitation hospital that is scheduled to open in mid-2026.


Norton Children's Unveils Plans for New Pediatric Care Campus

It will include a full-service hospital for children with complex medical needs, research facilities and expanded specialty services.


Environmental Services Workers Deserve More Respect

Cleaning professionals are essential partners in preventing and controlling infectious diseases in healthcare facilities.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.