New Mexico patients expecting to undergo transplant surgery or any other kind of medical procedure that may require hospitalization should be aware of a deadly mold infection outbreak at a Pittsburgh hospital in 2015. The mold outbreak caused the deaths of three transplant patients and serious life-threatening complications in a fourth due to fungal infections acquired as a result of suspected negligence by hospital staff following their procedures.
On Jan. 4, the surviving patient and his wife filed a lawsuit against University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian alleging that medical staff negligently placing him in a negative pressure air flow room. According to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, negative pressure rooms are typically used to house those patients already suffering from infections in order to prevent its spread. The CDC also stated that the four patients infected during the mold outbreak probably were exposed to the infectious agents while being housed in the same room at different times.
The surviving patient, who filed the medical negligence lawsuit against UPMC Presbyterian in Allegheny County, is believed to have developed his life-threatening fungal infection in the month following his double lung transplant, which occurred on Aug. 1, 2015. He was subsequently forced to undergo further procedures to remove parts of his new transplanted lungs damaged by the infection, which has required him to remain in the hospital.
Patients who incur hospital-acquired infections often require additional long-term care and face mounting medical expenses. They may want to meet with a medical malpractice attorney in order to determine whether a lawsuit seeking compensation from the negligent medical facility would be appropriate.
