Local health officials work to keep ‘superbug’ out of Idaho
A “superbug” infection is hitting hospitals across the nation, but it hasn’t hit any Idaho hospitals yet – and health officials would like to keep it that way.
The infection has recently hit Seattle’s Virgina Mason Medical Center, killing nearly a dozen people, and UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical Center where two died. The infection reportedly was transferred from contaminated duodenoscopes, which is a medical device doctors use to examine organs.
The superbug in question is carbepenem resistant enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, a bacteria that can be found in the intestines. While it isn’t harmful in the intestines, it is when it’s moved around to an area of the body that has little to no bacteria.
“In the cleaning procedures that have been lined out, they possibly could have missed them,” said Jeff Doerr, epidemiologist with Southeastern Idaho Public Health.
At Portneuf Medical Center, the cleaning procedure for duodenoscopes is very strict and systematic, with each step needing documentation.
After they are manually washed, the scopes are disinfected in high levels in a re-processor machine. A staff member then has to verify the machine worked correctly before tagging the scope clean with a reuse date in the storage closet.
PMC’s infection prevention manager, Joyce Devaud, said this procedure would help track the source of an infection, if one were to surface at the facility.
“We can follow the trail, (we can say) this scope was processed correctly and it was used on this patient,” said Devaud. “We have a lot of check and balances.”
Before staff members are allowed to clean the duodenoscopes, they have to pass a competency test. All staff will be re-trained in procedures because of the recent outbreaks in the near future.
PMC also doesn’t use the same type of duodenoscopes reported to have transmitted CRE infections.
