CDC looks into perilous fungus at local hospital

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Article Launched: 12/06/2005 01:00:00 AM

CDC looks into perilous fungus at local hospital

Operations in same St. ph room in March left one dead, another

ill

By Augé

Denver Post Staff Writer

http://denverpost.com/news/ci_3282179

One patient died and another became seriously ill after they were

exposed to a dangerous fungus while undergoing surgery in a single

operating room at Exempla St. ph Hospital.

In all, at least 15 people may have been exposed to the fungus,

aspergillus, during surgery this spring, an investigation by the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found.

Those patients have been notified, and the hospital has no

indication that any more are sick, said Dr. Sheldon Stadnyk, the

hospital's chief medical officer.

In addition, the state health department has notified other

hospitals in the area to be on the lookout for possible infections.

Two CDC investigators were in Denver as recently as last week and

have wrapped up fieldwork, but they have not issued a final report

on the source of the infection, said Marcone, spokeswoman

for the federal health agency.

Stadnyk said both patients who became sick were operated on in the

same surgical suite in March of this year, and both had heart valves

replaced.

The surviving patient is doing well but may have to be on medication

permanently, Stadnyk said.

In each case, a particular type of " biopaste " was used to seal the

valve in place. Stadnyk said that although no one has drawn any

conclusions about the source of the fungus, the paste is one common

thread in both infections.

Stadnyk said St. ph originally reported the infections to the

state health department, as required by state law.

The health department then asked the CDC to take the lead in the

investigation, said Lori Maldonado, spokeswoman for the Colorado

Department of Public Health and Environment.

Marcone said it is not unheard of for the CDC to handle such

inquiries.

" We have a group here that works on hospital infections. And we

offer consultation frequently, " she said.

Infections are a vexing problem at hospitals nationwide.

Infections acquired at hospitals strike 2 million people each year,

accounting for 90,000 deaths and $4.5 billion in health care costs,

the CDC estimates.

Aspergillus is a less common source of hospital infection. The

fungus is ubiquitous; it can be found in

air, soil and water. It can cause everything from minor irritation

to death. People most likely to suffer aspergillus infections are

those whose immune systems aren't functioning well, because of

conditions such as cancer or organ transplants.

Lung infections are the most common type of serious aspergillus

infection, as patients breathe in the germ.

The source of the infection often remains a mystery, but common

sources include air around a dusty garden, construction sites and

other areas where dirt may have been stirred up.

Stadnyk said St. ph, at 1835 lin St. in Denver, was

planning construction in an operating room next to the one where the

infected patients had surgery. Preparations were made for

construction, including knocking down a wall, but the work hadn't

started.

" At the time the patients actually had surgery, the construction had

not begun, so we're a little confused, " he said.

He said both the CDC and the hospital tested air samples around the

operating room and found no evidence of aspergillus.

Aspergillus infections can be treated with powerful antifungal

drugs.

Not having the infection source pinpointed yet makes eliminating the

potential risk a challenge, Stadnyk said.

But he said that eliminating infection risk is something St. ph

takes seriously and works on constantly.

Staff writer Augé can be reached at 303-820-1733 or

kauge@....