FDA Issues Warning About Endoscopes After Superbug Outbreak at UCLA Medical Center
FDA has issued a warning about medical endoscopes, stating that the device's design might make it difficult to "clean, disinfect and sterilize reusable devices." Earlier this week, UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center began notifying 179 patients who were treated at the hospital that they may have been exposed to potentially deadly bacteria from contaminated medical scopes. UCLA said that seven patients have been infected by a drug-resistant superbug known as CRE and two patients' deaths have been linked to the bacteria.
- "FDA Issues Endoscope Warning Following Superbug Outbreak" (Ross Johnson, Modern Healthcare, 2/19).
- "'Superbug' Outbreak Raises Questions About Medical Tool" (Chang, AP/San Jose Mercury News, 2/19).