Three patients who underwent heart surgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center contracted unusual infections linked to a heater-cooler, according to an article on the Philadelphia Enquirer website.
Heater-coolers heat or cool the blood of patients on a heart-lung bypass machine. The temperature is modulated by means of circulating water that does not come into contact with the patient's blood, so the device was not thought to pose a risk of infection.
Infectious-disease experts now say otherwise, because small amounts of water can become aerosolized and escape through a vent in the device.
At the same time, a University of Washington Medical Center investigation found that heater-coolers were contaminated with bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease.
Rethinking How Healthcare Facilities Fund Construction Projects
Winners Named for the 15th Annual Healthcare Design Awards
Intermountain Health Breaks Ground on New Children's Hospital in Nevada
Ambulatory Care Facilities Reshape FM Strategies
Intermountain Foundation Receives $150M Gift for Children's Hospital in Nevada