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Memorial Hospital (CO) death under investigation

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Memorial Hospital death under investigation

A death at Memorial Hospital has raised some measured concern in the medical community. The hospital reported the death to the El Paso County Department of Health & Environment after suspicion the patient may have had a communicable disease. The health department is now running tests to determine the cause of death.

Hospital officials say the adult was brought to Memorial Hospital on Friday and died the same day. The health department said test results will not be available until next week.

The death has alarmed some people because of a recent tuberculosis scare.

Dr. Chris Nevin-Woods of the state board of health said there are many types of communicable diseases. "West Nile Virus, infections, influenza, H5N1 strain of influenza, and salmonella," she said.

The hospital will not release any information about the patient, or even say what symptoms the patient showed. A hospital spokeswoman said staff and family wore protective gear as a precaution.

Posted By: Bea Karnes (Updated: 6/9/2007 9:48:26 PM)
 
Re: Memorial Hospital (CO) death under investigation

COLORADO SPRINGS – KRDO reports Memorial Hospital is investigating a case of "suspected tuberculosis."


Colorado Springs hospital investigating death from 'suspicious disease'


A hospital spokesperson could only confirm to 9NEWS that a patient brought to the ER Friday died from a "suspicious communicable disease."

KRDO says a source at the hospital tells the station the patient was a young woman who was here from another country.

The Memorial Hospital spokesperson tells 9NEWS the El Paso County Health Department will not have test results on what killed the patient until the middle of next week.

According to KRDO, the El Paso County Health Department says there is no imminent threat to the public.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=71660
 
Re: Memorial Hospital (CO) death under investigation

Infectious disease possible in death

Health officials test for contagious diseases at hospital where patient died


By BRIAN NEWSOME
THE GAZETTE
June 10, 2007 - 12:39AM


A female’s suspicious death at Memorial Hospital on Friday is being investigated by health authorities as possibly caused by a communicable disease.

The patient, whose name or age wasn’t released, arrived at the emergency room in the morning and was later placed in a room with an isolated-air system as a precaution, said Sharon Miracle, hospital spokeswoman. People entering the room were required to wear protective gear.
The patient died several hours later.

The El Paso County Department of Health and Environment sent communicable-disease specialists to the hospital and is conducting tests for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. Test results won’t be complete until early next week, said department spokeswoman Susan Wheelan.

“Based upon what we know now, I don’t feel there’s any threat to the public,” she said.

Memorial Hospital routinely communicates with the Health Department, but site visits are rare, Miracle said. Wheelan said health authorities often conduct on-site investigations when diseases are suspected, but in the case of Memorial Hospital, she said medical staff there usually don’t need the assistance.
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0198 or bnewsome@gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/hospital_23450___article.html/health_disease.html
 
Re: Memorial Hospital (CO) death under investigation

Diagnosis in death expected soon
El Paso officials don't believe public is at risk

By Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News
June 11, 2007
Health officials could know as early as today which "suspicious communicable disease" killed a woman on Friday, just hours after she arrived at a Colorado Springs hospital.

Depending on the diagnosis, the El Paso County health department could begin testing and treating family members or anyone else who had been in contact with the patient, said Bernadette Albanese, the department's medical director, on Sunday.

In the meantime, the county considers there is no immediate risk to the public, Albanese said.

The patient, a woman whose name and age have not been released, was brought to Memorial Hospital's emergency department Friday morning, according to hospital spokeswoman Sharon Miracle.

When physicians learned of her symptoms, she was immediately moved to an isolation room, where the air flow is restricted so it won't reach other people in the hospital. Staff and the woman's family wore protective gear, including masks.

The patient died Friday afternoon, Miracle said.

Both Miracle and Albanese declined to comment on possible diagnoses, including a published report that physicians suspected tuberculosis - the disease that landed an Atlanta man in quarantine at National Jewish Medical and Research Center earlier this month.

"It could be a variety of things," Miracle said.

In cases of suspected communicable or infectious disease, physicians use preliminary findings to determine whether family or other people who had contact with the patient need to be treated immediately, Albanese said.

If doctors suspect certain types of meningitis that spread rapidly, for example, the health department would move immediately to treat anyone who interacted with the patient.

"For this circumstance, it's not something that needed to be done in a matter of hours," Albanese said.
 
Re: Memorial Hospital (CO) death under investigation

Autopsy today in woman's death from contagious disease

By Alan Gathright and Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News
June 11, 2007
Health officials are expected to announce today whether a woman died Friday from tuberculosis or another "communicable disease" just hours after she arrived at a Colorado Springs hospital.

"We are very hopeful that later this morning, if not early this afternoon, we will have results in from the pending testing that's been happening over the weekend in this case," Bradd Hafer, a spokesman for the El Paso County health department, said this morning.

While public health officials are running a battery of lab tests for various communicable diseases, Hafer confirmed that Memorial Hospital doctors suspected TB as "one possible diagnosis" based on the woman's symptoms.

An autopsy on the woman is scheduled for later today, according to the El Paso County coroner's office.

Depending on the diagnosis, the health department could begin testing and treating family members or anyone else who had been in contact with the patient, said Bernadette Albanese, the department's medical director, on Sunday.

KRDO-TV quoted an unnamed hospital source saying the 19-year old woman died after from "suspected tuberculosis." The source also says she recently traveled from another country.

In the meantime, the county considers there is no immediate risk to the public, Albanese said.

The patient, whose name and age have not been released, was brought to Memorial Hospital's emergency department Friday morning, according to hospital spokeswoman Sharon Miracle.

When physicians learned of her symptoms, she was immediately moved to an isolation room, where the air flow is restricted so it won't reach other people in the hospital. Staff and the woman's family wore protective gear, including masks.

The patient died Friday afternoon, Miracle said.

Both Miracle and Albanese declined to comment on possible diagnoses, including a published report that physicians suspected tuberculosis ? the disease that landed an Atlanta man in quarantine at National Jewish Medical and Research Center earlier this month.

"It could be a variety of things," Miracle said.

In cases of suspected communicable or infectious disease, physicians use preliminary findings to determine whether family or other people who had contact with the patient need to be treated immediately, Albanese said.

If doctors suspect certain types of meningitis that spread rapidly, for example, the health department would move immediately to treat anyone who interacted with the patient.

"For this circumstance, it's not something that needed to be done in a matter of hours," Albanese said.
 
Breaking News: Tuberculosis Death

Breaking News: Tuberculosis Death

Breaking News: Tuberculosis Death
Posted: 1:13 PM Jun 11, 2007
Last Updated: 1:24 PM Jun 11, 2007
Reporter: KKTV

The State Health Department has confirmed a death at Memorial Hospital Friday was caused by tuberculosis.

Read their news release below:

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, along with El Paso County Health Department and the Pueblo City-County Health Department, have confirmed tuberculosis as the cause of death of a patient at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs on Friday.

An investigation has begun to identify and contact those who would have had relevant contact with the deceased during the time the patient was contagious. Appropriate TB testing will be arranged for individuals exposed to the deceased. It is unlikely this patient’s death was from Multi-Drug Resistant TB, but that will be confirmed. The deceased was an international student at Colorado State University-Pueblo until summer break and was recently living in Colorado Springs.

Stay with 11 News for the latest.
 
Re: Memorial Hospital (CO) death under investigation

hat-tip Pixie

Officials: Colorado Springs Patient Died From TB

Jun 11, 2007 1:35 pm US/Mountain
http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_162153757.html

(AP) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Tuberculosis caused the death of a woman in a Colorado Springs hospital, health officials said Monday, but they said it was unlikely she had the multidrug-resistant strain.
Mark Salley of the state health department said tests were planned to confirm what form of the disease she had. Multidrug-resistant TB is more difficult to treat.

The woman, whose name was not released, died Friday, the day she arrived at the emergency room of Memorial Hospital. Although hospital officials did not know what disease she had, she was put in an isolation room and staff and family members wore protective gear as a precaution.

It was not clear when authorities confirmed the woman had tuberculosis, but the announcement was made Monday, ahead of a scheduled news conference.

Health officials described the victim as an international student who had attended Colorado State University-Pueblo but had been staying in Colorado Springs. No other information was immediately released.

An investigation was under way to identify and contact anyone who might be at risk of contracting TB from exposure to the woman, Salley said.

Andrew Speaker, an Atlanta lawyer whose case of extensive drug-resistant tuberculosis attracted national attention, is being treated at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver.

[snip]
 
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