Source: Tom Watkins / CNN
Nine of 19 patients who were infected with bacteria that got into their blood after they were fed intravenously have died in six Alabama hospitals, state health officials said Tuesday.
“This represents an example of an outbreak that does, unfortunately, occur,” Dr. Don Williamson of the Alabama Department of Public Health told reporters in a conference call.
The bacteria, identified as serratia marcescens bacteremia, can prove fatal, though investigators — including those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — have not determined that they caused the deaths, he said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
The rod-shaped bacteria that were discovered in bags used in intravenous feeding — also referred to as total parenteral nutrition — would have entered the bloodstream easily and “with a pretty quick effect in terms of blood pressure and temperature,” he said.
But the products no longer pose a threat to anyone who has not already been identified, he added. The product, which was recalled last Thursday, was available from only one manufacturer and sold to the hospitals; it was not clear how many people in all had been administered the solution, he said.
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