Millions spent on Navy hospital mold

[Guest guest]

Millions spent on Navy hospital mold

10 to 12 types found in ventilation ducts; months-long renovations

near end

By Steve Liewer

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

March 25, 2007

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070325-9999-1m25mold.html

SAN DIEGO – The Navy is spending $9 million to rebuild the heating

and air conditioning system at San Diego Naval Medical Center after

finding disease-causing mold growing inside ventilation ducts, the

hospital's officials have confirmed.

A routine inspection last spring revealed colonies of 10 to 12 types

of mold, Capt. Tam, the hospital's deputy commander, said in

response to an inquiry from The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Some molds can cause allergies and irritation, said Rick Kreutzer,

chief of environmental health for the investigative branch of the

California Department of Health Services. Others, including

aspergillus, can lead to life-threatening infections such as

aspergillosis in patients with cancer or AIDS, or in those who

recently received transplanted organs.

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Tam said that the naval hospital's levels of mold are lower than in

outdoor air, and that no related injuries or deaths have occurred.

But spotting visible mold in a ventilation system that is capable of

spreading spores throughout the building prompted him and other

officials to take action.

Replacement of the system began in October and should be completed

next month, said Amy Rohlfs, a hospital spokeswoman. The facility's

three towers have been closed down, one at a time, during

renovation.

The problem is serious but hardly unique. Last week, a Veterans'

Administration survey showed mold, or roof leaks that could lead to

mold, in at least six VA medical centers across the country.

Likewise, many civilian hospitals nationwide have had to spend lots

of time and money to combat mold in their facilities.

In 2000, Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla suffered an

aspergillosis outbreak that infected at least 16 patients, six of

whom died. Last year, two of the hospital's directors were dismissed

after the mold recurred, a problem blamed on their failure to

conduct proper maintenance of the ventilation system.

Even though hospitals have used increasingly high-tech air filters,

the incidence of mold-based infections and deaths has grown steadily

for more than 20 years, according to a January 2006 article in the

journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. Researchers

aren't sure what is fueling the trend.

After discovering the mold at the naval medical center, also called

Balboa naval hospital, the facility's officials reviewed health

records of patients and staff members for the past two years. They

didn't spot higher-than-expected levels of pulmonary diseases

typically associated with mold growth, Tam said.

The county Medical Examiner's Office released to The Union-Tribune

the names and causes of death for 25 people who died at Balboa

hospital in the past two years. No case involved aspergillosis,

although one woman died of an HIV-related viral infection and

another died of chronic asthma – both conditions that could be

aggravated by exposure to mold.

Tam said mold colonies grew on insulation lining the ducts that

carry hot and cold air throughout the hospital. When the facility

was built in the 1980s, he said, it was standard practice to

insulate ducts on the inside. Today, more is known about the dangers

of mold and bacteria, so insulation is installed on the outside of

ducts.

Balboa investigators believe an unusually damp winter two years ago,

combined with a new energy-saving ventilation system that circulated

more outside air through the hospital, caused the mold to grow

during 2005.

The hospital's officials decided they had to replace the facility's

heating and air conditioning system. They closed the facility's west

tower in October for two months of renovation. Repairs on the north

tower began in December, and now the east tower is undergoing the

same work.

A Jan. 19 inspection by a consulting company showed that levels of

aspergillus in the newly renovated west tower had risen since last

spring. In a report, the inspectors said the rebuilding might have

stirred up mold in that tower.

They advised hospital officials to track the aspergillus levels

closely until renovation in all three towers is finished. They also

suggested working with the building contractor to make sure

construction zones are sealed off from patient-care areas.

Besides aspergillus, the report cited levels of penicillum and

paecilomyces – molds linked to lung and blood infections in certain

patients – high enough to cause concern. It said some types of mold

found indoors aren't present outside the hospital, suggesting a

source other than outdoor air.

Ultimately, Tam said, Balboa " is a safe environment for patients.

The whole emphasis has been to maintain that. "

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

Steve Liewer: (619) 498-6632; steve.liewer@...

[Guest guest]

Sounds like my HVAC system. I would think then that the landlords here would

have to get into the towers of my system as well, not just rip insulation out of

two small ducts in an apartment. This is interesting. KC, this tells me so much

in this article that I had confirmed with my own common sense a long time ago.

Darlene

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote:

Millions spent on Navy hospital mold

10 to 12 types found in ventilation ducts; months-long renovations

near end

By Steve Liewer

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

March 25, 2007

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070325-9999-1m25mold.html

SAN DIEGO – The Navy is spending $9 million to rebuild the heating

and air conditioning system at San Diego Naval Medical Center after

finding disease-causing mold growing inside ventilation ducts, the

hospital's officials have confirmed.

A routine inspection last spring revealed colonies of 10 to 12 types

of mold, Capt. Tam, the hospital's deputy commander, said in

response to an inquiry from The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Some molds can cause allergies and irritation, said Rick Kreutzer,

chief of environmental health for the investigative branch of the

California Department of Health Services. Others, including

aspergillus, can lead to life-threatening infections such as

aspergillosis in patients with cancer or AIDS, or in those who

recently received transplanted organs.

Advertisement

Tam said that the naval hospital's levels of mold are lower than in

outdoor air, and that no related injuries or deaths have occurred.

But spotting visible mold in a ventilation system that is capable of

spreading spores throughout the building prompted him and other

officials to take action.

Replacement of the system began in October and should be completed

next month, said Amy Rohlfs, a hospital spokeswoman. The facility's

three towers have been closed down, one at a time, during

renovation.

The problem is serious but hardly unique. Last week, a Veterans'

Administration survey showed mold, or roof leaks that could lead to

mold, in at least six VA medical centers across the country.

Likewise, many civilian hospitals nationwide have had to spend lots

of time and money to combat mold in their facilities.

In 2000, Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla suffered an

aspergillosis outbreak that infected at least 16 patients, six of

whom died. Last year, two of the hospital's directors were dismissed

after the mold recurred, a problem blamed on their failure to

conduct proper maintenance of the ventilation system.

Even though hospitals have used increasingly high-tech air filters,

the incidence of mold-based infections and deaths has grown steadily

for more than 20 years, according to a January 2006 article in the

journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. Researchers

aren't sure what is fueling the trend.

After discovering the mold at the naval medical center, also called

Balboa naval hospital, the facility's officials reviewed health

records of patients and staff members for the past two years. They

didn't spot higher-than-expected levels of pulmonary diseases

typically associated with mold growth, Tam said.

The county Medical Examiner's Office released to The Union-Tribune

the names and causes of death for 25 people who died at Balboa

hospital in the past two years. No case involved aspergillosis,

although one woman died of an HIV-related viral infection and

another died of chronic asthma – both conditions that could be

aggravated by exposure to mold.

Tam said mold colonies grew on insulation lining the ducts that

carry hot and cold air throughout the hospital. When the facility

was built in the 1980s, he said, it was standard practice to

insulate ducts on the inside. Today, more is known about the dangers

of mold and bacteria, so insulation is installed on the outside of

ducts.

Balboa investigators believe an unusually damp winter two years ago,

combined with a new energy-saving ventilation system that circulated

more outside air through the hospital, caused the mold to grow

during 2005.

The hospital's officials decided they had to replace the facility's

heating and air conditioning system. They closed the facility's west

tower in October for two months of renovation. Repairs on the north

tower began in December, and now the east tower is undergoing the

same work.

A Jan. 19 inspection by a consulting company showed that levels of

aspergillus in the newly renovated west tower had risen since last

spring. In a report, the inspectors said the rebuilding might have

stirred up mold in that tower.

They advised hospital officials to track the aspergillus levels

closely until renovation in all three towers is finished. They also

suggested working with the building contractor to make sure

construction zones are sealed off from patient-care areas.

Besides aspergillus, the report cited levels of penicillum and

paecilomyces – molds linked to lung and blood infections in certain

patients – high enough to cause concern. It said some types of mold

found indoors aren't present outside the hospital, suggesting a

source other than outdoor air.

Ultimately, Tam said, Balboa " is a safe environment for patients.

The whole emphasis has been to maintain that. "

----------------------------------------------------------

-----------

Steve Liewer: (619) 498-6632; steve.liewer@...

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

The cost of eliminating mold for some older buildings may be higher than the

cost of replacing them. That is due to lack of maintenance over years and

years, their age and often, also bad original designs or modifications that

ruined the design. In the long run, our laws have to be structured so that

that change happens with the msot speed, and not so that people are

encouraged to prolong the agony of people getting infected in hospitals with

aspergillosis, etc. - a situation where as we know, many die.

In that context, is spending a few million dollars on a new building really

as expensive as pouring money down into a bottomless pits of piecemeal

remediations and lawsuits by grieving family members?

[Guest guest]

On Sun, 25 Mar 2007 11:05:36 -0400, you wrote:

>

>The cost of eliminating mold for some older buildings may be higher than the

>cost of replacing them. That is due to lack of maintenance over years and

>years, their age and often, also bad original designs or modifications that

>ruined the design. In the long run, our laws have to be structured so that

>that change happens with the msot speed, and not so that people are

>encouraged to prolong the agony of people getting infected in hospitals with

>aspergillosis, etc. - a situation where as we know, many die.

>

>In that context, is spending a few million dollars on a new building really

>as expensive as pouring money down into a bottomless pits of piecemeal

>remediations and lawsuits by grieving family members?

Because aspergillosis is usually only contracted by cancer, aids, and

transplant patients. It would make more sense to me to specialize

certain hospitals for these patients than to try to bring all

hospitals up to that high of a standard. I'm not saying let them go

to hell rather to spend the money more wisely and in the long run

serve everyone better.

Unfortunately we don't have unlimited budgets where we can just throw

unlimited sums of cash at all of our problems at once. So we must

prioritize. That or rob some other program that is in just as

desperate need of funds.

How long is a new building going to be mold free? 10 years, Maybe 20?

Some get contaminated right away! One thing I know for sure it's going

to take a lot of money to keep any building mold free.

Live, I mean this with all due respect, the half a trillion dollars

plus+++ you want to spend on remediation and law suits would be far

better spent on diagnosing us PROPERLY first.

What if after destroying all of this wealth we find that we had it

right the first time around. " We all suffer from chemical injury " " not

mycotoxosis "

IF (IF) IF! this is the case, 20 years from now what are we going to

tell the next generation of " chemically injured " the one that can be

prevented today?

[Guest guest]

You may read this frequently, but this is NOT TRUE, and another thing that

it is important for people to realize is that heavy mold exposure to molds

like stachybotrys creates immunosuppression in people.

In fact, it does it to the point where people who have been exposed to some

mycotoxins test positive on some AIDS tests, I've heard.

I just saw that recently, and I will try to find the reference on that. I

think it was in something Jeanine posted..

I know that when I was living in a very moldy situation that had high

trichothecene levels, just about every cell in my body felt different,

and I am still dealing with parts of that. For example, its hard for me to

turn the pages of books properly because the feeling in my hands is number

that it should be.

Don't you see, when you repeat these arguments, that the people who make

these arguments up, make them up with one express purpose, to avoid

responsibility for the things that they have done.

> Because aspergillosis is usually only contracted by cancer, aids, and

transplant patients. It would make more sense to me to specialize

certain hospitals for these patients than to try to bring all

hospitals up to that high of a standard. I'm not saying let them go

to hell rather to spend the money more wisely and in the long run

serve everyone better.

[Guest guest]

Live,

I can't agree with you more on the number of cases concerning

aspergillosis. The research and statistics are available, but how

accurate are they. In my opinion the numbers are probably a whole

lot higher. I've seen the info, but I do not have them on hand at

the moment. You don't have to be severely immunocompromised in order

to experience this condition.

, I have come across many individuals that experienced this

type of infection due to mold exposure without any previous

condition. Your statement, " usually only contracted by cancer, aids,

and transplant patients " , is misleading and incorrect. Yes, they are

more susceptible, but..

KC

--- In , LiveSimply <quackadillian@...>

wrote:

>

> You may read this frequently, but this is NOT TRUE, and another

thing that

> it is important for people to realize is that heavy mold exposure

to molds

> like stachybotrys creates immunosuppression in people.

>

> In fact, it does it to the point where people who have been

exposed to some

> mycotoxins test positive on some AIDS tests, I've heard.

>

> I just saw that recently, and I will try to find the reference on

that. I

> think it was in something Jeanine posted..

>

> I know that when I was living in a very moldy situation that had

high

> trichothecene levels, just about every cell in my body felt

different,

> and I am still dealing with parts of that. For example, its hard

for me to

> turn the pages of books properly because the feeling in my hands

is number

> that it should be.

>

> Don't you see, when you repeat these arguments, that the people

who make

> these arguments up, make them up with one express purpose, to avoid

> responsibility for the things that they have done.

>

>

> > Because aspergillosis is usually only contracted by cancer,

aids, and

> transplant patients. It would make more sense to me to specialize

> certain hospitals for these patients than to try to bring all

> hospitals up to that high of a standard. I'm not saying let them go

> to hell rather to spend the money more wisely and in the long run

> serve everyone better.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, seriously - I can't believe you're making these arguments...!

You live in the freakin' wilderness to keep your environment to what you can

handle, and you KNOW that the rest of us have bumped into this stuff because we

were inadvertently exposed. You're making arguments for the idiots on the other

side, man, and they're trying as hard as they can to keep this information from

coming out.

I don't know WHAT mold produced the toxin that got into most of us in the

building where I had my worst exposure, but I KNOW it killed my neighbor and we

have the Trichothecene in his tissues to prove it - and we're still trying to

get the Coroner to get over the pseudo-science out there that supposedly

'disproves' what we've demonstrated.

I nearly bled to death after surgery because of how toxins played with my

bloodthinners, I'm certain of that. I had 8 years of no bleeding troubles, then

2 years where I had THREE MAJOR HEMORRHAGING INCIDENTS while I lived there (was

in the hospital as a result of all three), and have had nothing I've needed more

than a band-aid for in the three years since I moved... COINCIDENCE? At this

point, I think not, my friend. And I now believe I have a seizure disorder,

which my neighbor definitely had and he had a seizure at the time of his

death... Thankfully, I don't have the grand mals he had - mine are much less

severe, but still disruptive.

This stuff HAS to be taken more seriously - and you don't have to have AIDS to

get sick from this stuff. Nobody really knows all we need to know. Shoemaker

and others have made some good headway about diagnosis and treatment, but mold

can't be good for anyone who is trying to heal from something unrelated.

Most of us don't want cash, we just want an opportunity to get well and live

normal lives. But our system of 'justice' only offers cash...

~Haley

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: Live,

I can't agree with you more on the number of cases concerning

aspergillosis. The research and statistics are available, but how

accurate are they. In my opinion the numbers are probably a whole

lot higher. I've seen the info, but I do not have them on hand at

the moment. You don't have to be severely immunocompromised in order

to experience this condition.

, I have come across many individuals that experienced this

type of infection due to mold exposure without any previous

condition. Your statement, " usually only contracted by cancer, aids,

and transplant patients " , is misleading and incorrect. Yes, they are

more susceptible, but..

KC

>

> You may read this frequently, but this is NOT TRUE, and another

thing that

> it is important for people to realize is that heavy mold exposure

to molds

> like stachybotrys creates immunosuppression in people.

>

> In fact, it does it to the point where people who have been

exposed to some

> mycotoxins test positive on some AIDS tests, I've heard.

>

> I just saw that recently, and I will try to find the reference on

that. I

> think it was in something Jeanine posted..

>

> I know that when I was living in a very moldy situation that had

high

> trichothecene levels, just about every cell in my body felt

different,

> and I am still dealing with parts of that. For example, its hard

for me to

> turn the pages of books properly because the feeling in my hands

is number

> that it should be.

>

> Don't you see, when you repeat these arguments, that the people

who make

> these arguments up, make them up with one express purpose, to avoid

> responsibility for the things that they have done.

>

>

> > Because aspergillosis is usually only contracted by cancer,

aids, and

> transplant patients. It would make more sense to me to specialize

> certain hospitals for these patients than to try to bring all

> hospitals up to that high of a standard. I'm not saying let them go

> to hell rather to spend the money more wisely and in the long run

> serve everyone better.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I had no health problems before I got ill from mold and am now chemical

sensitive and borderline immunosuppresive. My husband was fine and

then had grand mal seizures and a blood clot and is now chemical

sensitive. The seizures stopped after we got out of several moldy

homes. And most soaps are not safe if they have fragrance.

>

> , seriously - I can't believe you're making these arguments...!

[Guest guest]

(and everyone)

I think that the amino acid ARGININE is helpful in improving

the microcirculation in the entire body because it acts as a substrate for

the body's

production of nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator. And because it is an

amino acid, it is uniquely

safe. It might help your husband.

I can't speak for others but it helps me. I have noticed that it has

noticable, positive

effects on a some of the things that have been bothering me since I started

getting sick from mold.

It might help your husband. ASK YOUR DOCTOR....

From everything I have read it helps improve circulation and a GREAT MANY

other things that we all would/should be concerned about.

You need to take several grams a day, at least 3-5 .. I take it in the

evening.. usually a teaspoonful in some juice..

Just plain old L-arginine.

It costs around $40/kilo (1000 grams)

On 3/27/07, ldelp84227 <ldelp84227@...> wrote:

>

> I had no health problems before I got ill from mold and am now chemical

> sensitive and borderline immunosuppresive. My husband was fine and

> then had grand mal seizures and a blood clot and is now chemical

> sensitive. The seizures stopped after we got out of several moldy

> homes. And most soaps are not safe if they have fragrance.

>

>

> >

> > , seriously - I can't believe you're making these arguments...!

>

>

>