Nine die in Alabama during bacteria outbreak

[Guest guest]

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Nine die in Alabama during bacteria outbreak

By Peggy Gargis | Reuters – Wed, 30 Mar, 2011 5:09 AM EDT

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - Nine patients in Alabama have died after

receiving intravenous nutrition that authorities say was contaminated, but it

was unclear whether the bacteria contributed to the deaths.

Alabama authorities said they were investigating an outbreak of Serratia

marcescens bacteremia, a bacterial infection in the blood, in 19 patients at six

hospitals in the state who all received total parenteral nutrition (TPN).

TPN is a nutritional solution fed to patients by injection.

" Of the 19 that received the substance, nine of those are no longer living ...

These were very fragile individuals and it's not clear whether the bacteria

contributed to their deaths, " said Dr. Jim McVay, a senior official with the

Alabama Department of Public Health.

Authorities identified bacteria first in the patients and then ran cultures on

the TPN, he said.

" TPN is liquid nutrition fed through an IV using a catheter. Use of contaminated

products may lead to bacterial infection of the blood, " said a department

statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is helping with an

investigation, the department said.

" CDC's initial investigation identified TPN produced by a single pharmacy, Meds

IV, as a potential common source and has determined that these hospitals

received TPN from this pharmacy, " the department said in a statement.

The pharmacy was notified and informed its customers of the possibility of

contamination. On March 24, it recalled all of its IV compounded products and

has discontinued all production.

The affected hospitals stopped using TPN received from this pharmacy, the

statement said.

It said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is aware of the voluntary recall,

and that the pharmacy and the hospitals are cooperating with the investigation.

The affected hospitals are Baptist Princeton, Baptist Shelby, Baptist

Prattville, Medical West, Green Mercy and Select Specialty Hospital in

Birmingham.

(Editing by Bigg and Jerry Norton)

[Guest guest]

I know where some of these are. Those are all in north Alabama in and around Birmingham. It possible all the contaminated materials came from a place in Birmingham, which has a large medical complex in town.

I'm wondering though how incidents like this and the bacterial infections stack up against a few years ago.

In a message dated 3/30/2011 11:04:42 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

The affected hospitals are Baptist Princeton, Baptist Shelby, Baptist Prattville, Medical West, Green Mercy and Select Specialty Hospital in Birmingham.