Health Ministry investigates deaths of children

[Tonka]

http://www.rtu.com.ec/provinciales/13762-ministerio-de-salud-investiga-caso-de-ninos-fallecidos
Spanish to English translation

Health Ministry investigates deaths of children
RTU News 17/02/2011
Guayaquil .- The Ministry of Health has formed a technical committee composed of physicians, epidemiologists and other professionals to investigate and clarify what happened in the case of children who died in the Pediatric Hospital "Dr. Ycaza Francisco Bustamante. "
After issuing the relevant report will reach the last stages and will take the respective corrective, if there is some kind of administrative responsibility in this matter.

The ninth child who died on Tuesday 15 February, the fact remains that like other children, was in critical and unstable.

The child at birth had pneumonia and systemic infection caused by the leakage of amniotic fluid for 15 days before delivery; Upon arrival at the hospital was 4 hours old, was having difficulty breathing, poor color in your skin, As quickly intervened and administered oxygen therapy using antibiotics to control infection, but during 17 days of hospitalization were not favorable, despite all the media have given intensive care at the end died of complication of septic shock.

At the time, the Department of Neonatology Children's Hospital, is closed for the relevant research and preserve the health of patients who daily come to our hospital unit.

Notably, the Children's Hospital "Dr. Ycaza Francisco Bustamante "has a deserved reputation he has earned during his career in a timely and efficient care to children across the country.

Serving 455,386 patients annually, performing more than 6,000 surgeries, including cardiovascular surgery can be named, cochlear implants, correction of Pectus Excavatum, among others.

In our hospital unit is given automated PD treatment in patients with renal insufficiency, chemotherapy treatment in cancer patients, managing patients with HIV / AIDS and all diseases of childhood. Despite this situation, the Children's Hospital will continue to ensure care for all patients and providing the service with the same professionalism and dedication that characterize the people who work there.

In the next few hours the health authorities of the Province of Guayas made an official statement on this fact, so caution to ask media to broadcast information, so as not to alarm the public, because it is an event so delicate.

 

[Tonka]

Re: Health Ministry investigates deaths of children

http://www.eluniverso.com/2011/02/1...os-3-aun-estan-neonatologia.html?p=1354&m=638
Spanish to English translation

Saturday February 19, 2011 Community
Bacteria was found in 5 and 3 dead babies still in Neonatology

The prosecutor Daniel Rodriguez as he toured the area yesterday Neonatology Children's Hospital.
Yesterday for the first time since denounced the gradual death of children in the area of Neonatology Children's Hospital of Ycaza Francisco Bustamante, a Ministry of Health acknowledged the presence of bacteria (Serratia) that could have killed at least five of them.

"The bacteria was found in five children who died," he said yesterday David Chiriboga, Minister of Health, who explained that three infants who remain in the room also have the bacteria in their blood and are being treated with antibiotics.

The serratia grows in the intestine and contamination occurs through feces and can cause severe infections if the patient has low defenses, such as small they were housed in neonatology, intensive care areas.

"Most children who enter this type of unit defenses are very welcome ... not necessarily the cause of death was bacterial. All these children had extremely serious health problems, "said Chiriboga.

Also, Gustavo Bretas, consultant to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), agreed with the minister and said it is necessary to review the infection control system to try to understand what happened and prevent it happening in the future.

Meanwhile, prosecutors yesterday Daniel Rodriguez, Margarita Ram?rez Alberto Neira and cordoned off in rooms 1 and 3 Neonatal where ten children were killed between 3 and 15 February. "We cordoned off areas to protect the evidence, because we will make new expertises in 72 hours," said Neira.

In addition, two policemen remain for 24 hours outside the area until the pathologists and specialists from the Institute of Hygiene to take further samples.

The girl Bermello, one of the five children who remained in the area until last Thursday, was discharged yesterday at 09:00. The child was born on 5 January with hydrocephalus, in the hospital of El Empalme, and 01:00 on January 6 was admitted to hospital Ycaza.

"We operated on the head and my daughter attended," said the mother, who spent 44 days accompanying her baby in the hospital.

Yesterday, the child was transferred by ambulance to the hospital of El Empalme, because she still can not breathe alone.

Prosecutors also wanted to enter the operating room area for inspection, but could not because he practiced surgery.

There was Rosa (name withheld) distraught because his son was operated, 10 years old, made him a change of tissue, after having removed an access in the left leg.

"I fear that my child is infected with the bacteria, but needs surgery," he said with resignation.

Eager, in the hallways on the first floor, Jeny Andrade, the mother of the second infant who died, Zavala surname Andrade, Neira spoke with the prosecutor, who asked him to go to make a complaint.

The boy, who entered the nursing home with a diagnosis of pneumonia, Jan. 24, spent 14 days in the hospital and died on 4 February.

"It got worse when his leg swelled where an IV was placed. One practitioner told me it was because the iv was blocked and that by removing the serum desinchar?a. When I went back after three hours (to give nursing) the other leg was also swollen and the doctor told me it was infected and he was serious, "said Andrade.

At 15:00 yesterday, the Medical Office, Alberto Ramirez, gave a preliminary report of eight of the infants died in the fiscal Neira, to be included in the investigations.

Ramirez detected in two dead children bacteria, which were not identified.

According to Neira, next week will be included in the investigation to the two who died last Tuesday.

 

[Tonka]

Re: Health Ministry investigates deaths of children

http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5g0OXaLl0VERJ7043pZ1_zipOHGvw?docId=1468132
Spanish to English translation

Ecuador will seek external support to investigate death of 9 children in hospital
By Agencia EFE - 16 hours ago
Quito, 19 feb (EFE) .- The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, announced today that it will seek external support to investigate the causes of the deaths of nine children in the neonatal unit of the hospital "Ycaza Bustamante, the port city of Guayaquil.
The Ecuadorian Minister of Health, David Chiriboga, said yesterday that five of the bodies were found a bacterium, whose origin is investigated, but did not confirm if that was the cause of the deaths.
"We have identified a bacterium known as Serratia, in five of the dead children, said the minister, after stating that this element was also found in the blood of three newborn babies, the same hospital, who are alive and cared for.
In its weekly report of work, Correa said today that they have discussed the possibility of seeking a foreign mission, which could be from the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), that "with complete independence "to find out and establish responsibilities.
He noted that the state must assume its responsibilities and that match should punish those who, through negligence or something similar, are involved in the issue.
Prosecutor agents investigating the case closed yesterday the move to the neonatal unit and hospital operating rooms, to allow experts to analyze the conditions, because the deceased parents cite as possible causes of poor hygiene and care personal.
The hospital "Ycaza Bustamante is subject to a state of emergency declared by the Government in late January in several health centers in the country with the aim of improving their conditions.
Chiriboga said Wednesday that the emergency will be used to intervene in intensive care units neonatal units of hospitals throughout the country.

 

[alert]

Re: Health Ministry investigates deaths of children

This is, unfortunately, all too common in neonatal units around the world. Something gets contaminated with bacteria, and then an outbreak of infant fatalities ensues. We have several of these on FT already from around the world:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139771 (Ulaanbataar, Mongolia, Klebsiella bacteria)

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127140 (Chiapas, Mexico, unidentified bacteria, possibly Klebsiella)

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=347326 (Annaba, Algeria, unidentified bacteria, questionable outbreak)

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=329025 (Egypt, several incidents)

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=319797 (India)

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=388876 (Gauteng, South Africa, Klebsiella)

And I also remember seeing one from Argentina, but I can't find the thread now.

 

[Tonka]

Re: Health Ministry investigates deaths of children

http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/03/06/898559/ecuador-mejoran-3-bebes-tras-muerte.html
Spanish to English translation

Ecuador: Improve 3 babies after killing 10

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

QUITO - Three babies who remain in the area of neonatology at a hospital in Guayaquil are improving, according to the Health Minister in February after about 10 children died in that hospital.
Minister David Chiriboga said after touring the above facilities Ycaza Francisco Bustamante Children's Hospital, where he verified the change of taps and sinks. On the surface of these bacteria has been detected Serratia marcescens, which infected five of the 10 children who had died, the newspaper reported Sunday in The Universe website.
Newborns are evolving and gaining weight, "said Chiriboga.
The official is scheduled to visit the hospital on Monday Isidro Ayora of Loja, 435 km southwest of Quito, where he died about 26 babies since November.
As previously reported, four children died from an infection caused by the bacterium Enterobacter aerogenes, found in the area of neonatology at the hospital in Loja.
Cynthia Serrano and Jackie Vasquez, mother of two children who had died, sued the hospital for negligence Ayora, TV channel reported Ecuavisa.
"First I was told he had pneumonia, then when he died I said that was respiratory failure after cardiac arrest. There were several things that told us," said Serrano.
The prosecutor's office investigates deaths both locations to determine responsibilities.


Read more: http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/0...ejoran-3-bebes-tras-muerte.html#ixzz1FvkARr3j

 

[Tonka]

Re: Health Ministry investigates deaths of children

http://www.el-nacional.com/www/site...l-ecuatoriano-bacteria-que-infectó-a-neonatos
Spanish to English translation

Health 17 Mar 2011 | 06:22 PM - By EFE
Detected in Ecuador hospital soap bacteria that infected infants

Now there is an ongoing technical and administrative investigation "to determine" the possible responsibility for the deaths of these children. He stressed, moreover, that the hospital in Guayaquil died earlier this year ten babies

Newborn Baby | AP
The Minister of Health of Ecuador, David Chiriboga , said Thursday that the country's authorities found in soaps Isidro Ayora Hospital de Loja, south of the country, the bacteria Enterobacter, it was detected in the blood of four children remained in that hospital.

Since November have died in the hospital of Loja 26 newborns, so the Prosecutor and the Ministry of Health decided to close the hospital for infants and initiate an investigation.

Chiriboga said that according to preliminary results in four children in the center-of those who did not specify whether they were among the dead in their blood, the bacteria Enterobacter, also found in soaps, so the minister instructed them to switch the soap dispensers.

Moreover, "the unit was sterilized" of infants and carried out various security measures, said Chiriboga, who noted that last February, "died only two (babies in that hospital) and was due to prematurity," against the 26 deaths recorded in November.

Chiriboga said that now is an ongoing technical and administrative investigation "to determine" the possible responsibility for the deaths of these children.

He stressed, moreover, that in the hospital in Guayaquil died earlier this year ten babies, five of whom had blood Serratia bacteria, which are also found inside pipes and faucets for sinks neonatal intensive care unit of the hospital, so they moved Chiriboga ordered those facilities.

The minister said the Serratia is a bacterium that grows in "liquids and wet," so "is more common in intensive care sites."

However, Chiriboga said that at present can not specify that the start of the outbreak of infection comes from the taps, because they still have to determine "if the same strain" was found in the blood of newborns.

The minister said recently that it is not clear that the babies were killed by this bacteria in Guayaquil , as serratia also found in three other infants who are still alive.

Moreover, Chiriboga announced yesterday dismissed the hospital director Gustavo Dominguez, Santo Domingo de Ts?chilas, as well as administrative director and the provincial health director, after this week came to light some photographs which showed that at the hospital kept the babies in boxes.

Chiriboga, who visited the medical center on Tuesday, praised the "catastrophic" hospital administration, it was "dirty" and "abandonment."

Despite acknowledging that the medical center is overwhelmed by the lack of space , since there are only eight seats for newborns and get half a dozen babies a day, the minister described as "unacceptable" to have children in boxes.

 

[Tonka]

Re: Health Ministry investigates deaths of children

http://noticias.terra.com.pe/intern...ba86afc1254ee210VgnVCM3000009af154d0RCRD.html
Spanish to English translation

Correa confirms validity of a state of emergency in hospitals in Ecuador
March 23, 2011 ? 15:56

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, confirmed today the existence of a state of emergency in all public hospitals, due to the controversy triggered by the death of over thirty of newborns in some health centers.
Correa noted that the health emergency was declared last January and extended on 11 March, amid criticism over the death of babies in some hospitals.
The president clarified that the emergency has held since January throughout the country, while recognizing that in that month was emphasized in eight hospitals, which were to implement pilot projects to improve care.
Correa said photographs released by the press last week, which were visible to infants placed in cartons or plastic tubs, like thermal cots.
According to Correa, the images were captured last January by the employees of the hospital's neonatal unit of Santo Domingo de los Ts?chilas with the aim of pressuring the government to extend to the center in the state of emergency.
That was a "blunder" of employees, because all the country's hospitals are in emergency and no pressing need for the state to take care of them with urgently, he added.
Correa insisted that "the whole health system is in distress" and dismissed some media reports warning that the measure would be extended to other hospitals, the controversy has sparked attention in neonatal units.
The decree to renew the state of health exception, signed on March 11, says the measure will apply for thirty days and that its scope is valid throughout the Republic.
The document also lists eleven hospitals where they apply, "especially" the measure "to prevent a collapse in its services" and the emerging actions to be implemented.
On 17 March the Health Minister, David Chiriboga, reported that he had met in hospital soaps Isidro Ayora, Loja (south), a bacteria also found in the blood of four infants in the center.
Since November have died in the hospital of Loja 26 newborns, so the Prosecutor and the Ministry of Health decided to close the plant in infants and start an investigation.
Chiriboga said that according to preliminary results in four children in the center of which did not specify whether they were of those who died, had in his blood Enterobacter bacteria, which are also found in soaps, so the minister instructed them to switch soap dispensers.
Moreover, "the unit was sterilized" of infants and carried out various security measures that helped reduce the death of newborns.
Also in a hospital in Guayaquil (southwest) died earlier this year ten babies, five of whom had blood Serratia bacteria, which was also found inside pipes and faucets sinks care unit neonatal intensive.
In this regard, Chiriboga said the Serratia is a bacterium that grows in "liquids and wet," so "is more common in intensive care sites."
Another surgery hospitals is the hospital of Santo Domingo de los Ts?chilas, whose administration was described by Chiriboga of "catastrophic" because it was "dirty" and "abandonment.