WellSpan alerts open-heart surgery patients to infection risk

About 1,300 open-heart surgery patients at a midstate hospital may have been exposed to a potential infection.

The heating-cooling devices in the WellSpan York Hospital harbored bacteria in the water that is used to establish blood temperatures.

According to federal health authorities, the bacterium – a nontuberculous mycobacterium, or NTM – is commonly found in nature, including soil, water, and even tap water.

Hospital officials said the infection has been identified in less than one percent of patients who had open-heart surgery during this time.

“NTM is unusual in that it can take several years before people who are infected with it are diagnosed”, the department said. The hospital said it will pay for the medical care of anyone who develops the infection within four years of having open heart surgery at York Hospital.

The eight infections at York Hospital, a half-hour’s drive south of Harrisburg, were deemed to be the “probable” result of infection from contaminated water in the heating-cooling devices.

A news release Monday from the Pennsylvania Department of Health addressed the York Hospital situation, but made no mention of any other hospitals.

The company said the patients who died had complex conditions and their deaths hadn’t been directly linked to the infection, but it was “likely a contributing factor”. The family members of those who are now deceased have been contacted by hospital staff, officials there said.

WellSpan said the possible exposure involves only York Hospital, and not any of the other hospitals owned by WellSpan.

While an inspection revealed that the devices’ manufacturer guidelines and the cleaning protocols of the hospital did not match, the WellSpan York Hospital has replaced the devices in July this year.

“The new equipment is being meticulously maintained according to the enhanced cleaning procedures”, Noll said.

Pennsylvania Department of Health spokeswoman Amy Worden said the investigation focused exclusively on York.

Earlier in October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had already issues a communication concerning the safety of the equipment. Follow-up analyses with the 32 contamination reports worldwide have linked half of the reports to illness reported by patients.

“While it is still unknown whether other USA hospitals using similar equipment during open-heart surgery may also have patients with bacterial infection, our work with the DoH and the CDC provides a template for other hospitals to follow in identifying and addressing this possible potential risk to patients”, said Noll.