Rome, A suspicious outbreak at San Giovanni Hospital (Corriere.it, August 31 2013)

[Giuseppe]

[Source: Corriere.it, full page in Italian: (LINK). Portion extracted and translated, edited. h/t Michele Calatri.]


Rome, A suspicious outbreak at San Giovanni Hospital


Two patients died, other three ill. A doctor: «An unexplained condition». At the Tor Vergata Hospital a doctor fell ill after cared the patient. Regional authorities gathered an investigation committee.


ROME - «I promised to our technician wife: I will do everything to find out why he died in this way.’’ For GB, Director-General of the San Giovanni hospital, it has became an obligation after, despite a liver transplantation performed at Tor Vergata polyclinic, RV, a 64 year old Hospital’s morgue operator, died. The man death happened on August 11 and since then, it continues to be unknown the cause of his illness. The patient with morgue staff performed a necroscopy on an old woman died from cancer, after she condition suddenly progressed to death […]

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[Giuseppe]

Re: Rome, A suspicious outbreak at San Giovanni Hospital (Corriere.it, August 31 2013)

[Source: ProMedMail.org, full page: (LINK). Edited.]


Published Date: 2013-08-31 20:52:49 / Subject: PRO/EDR> Unexplained deaths - Italy: (RM) hospital staff, RFI / Archive Number: 20130831.1915696

UNEXPLAINED DEATHS - ITALY: (ROME) HOSPITAL STAFF, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org / ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases http://www.isid.org

Date: Wed 28 Aug 2013 / Source: Corriere della Sera newspaper [In Italian, a translated extract by Michele Calatri, summ., edited] http://roma.corriere.it/roma/notizie/cronaca/13_agosto_28/san_giovanni_epidemia_sospetta-2222790150822.shtml


Undiagnosed illness, hospital morgue operator, Rome, Italy

The follow information has been posted in the online edition of the Corriere della Sera daily newspaper:

Two patients have died, and another 3 affected by an unexplained condition. At the Tor Vergata Polyclinic a doctor has fallen ill [and died] during treatment of a patient. The Regional Health Authorities have established an investigation committee and will do everything to find out why he died in this manner. For the Director-General of the San Giovanni hospital, it has also became an obligation to establish why a liver transplantation performed at the Tor Vergata Polyclinic was accompanied by the death of a 64-year-old Hospital morgue attendant. The attendant's death happened on [11 Aug 2013] and the cause of death has still not been established. The [victim], with other morgue staff, performed a necroscopy on an elderly woman who had [died] unexpectedly during treatment for her cancer.
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Communicated by: Giuseppe Michieli, FluTrackers.com


[From the translated extract, the cause of these deaths of medical staff at the San Giovanni hospital is still unresolved, but is suggestive of exposure to an infectious (possibly viral) agent. ProMED-mail would welcome further information concerning this incident and the results of the ongoing investigation. - Mod.CP

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1BIF.]

.................................................cp/je/dk

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[alert]

Re: Rome, A suspicious outbreak at San Giovanni Hospital (Corriere.it, August 31 2013)

Very curious to have just the one vague article almost a week ago, and then no follow-up. A viral hemorrhagic fever is possible here. The one article itself leaves many unresolved questions:

- What are the onset, exposure, and deaths of deaths of the cases?

- How many generations of cases are suspected? 2? 3?

- What are the symptoms, other than liver failure and possible death?

- Exactly what is the relationship between the suspected cases?

It is very odd not to have gotten any further reports on this situation, especially in light of the rapid ProMED post.

 

[Giuseppe]

Re: Rome, A suspicious outbreak at San Giovanni Hospital (Corriere.it, August 31 2013)

Unfortunately, Rome hospitals are quite suffering for severe lack of funding, some owned by private companies are defaulted or on the brink of closure (stunningly even the biggest owned by Vatican holdings). During the winter flu season this year, some Emergency Department accomodated patients on the floor because of general ward beds shortage. Understaffed, with aging operators and staff, dilapidated buildings and facilities add further strain to the Capital health care infrastructure despite the fact that it is one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. GM

 

[alert]

Re: Rome, A suspicious outbreak at San Giovanni Hospital (Corriere.it, August 31 2013)

I found this article from August 14th, indicating the death had already occurred, and that hepatitis was suspected at the time:

http://www.ilmessaggero.it/FROSINON...so_da_epatite_fulminante/notizie/315279.shtml

Frosinone, paramedic killed
from fulminant hepatitis
Infected in sectoral room?
The family filed a complaint. Three other colleagues hospitalized. Assotutela: urgent summit convened by Region

FURTHER READING Frosinone, healthcare, San Giovanni Addolorata, fulminant hepatitis



A frusinate 64 years, technical Pathology Rome San Giovanni Addolorata Hospital died of fulminant hepatitis and the family asked to clarify. Yes, because three other colleagues were also their patients, suffering from what appears to be an obscure disease "on which management does not yet give some news," says the president of Assotutela Michel Emi Maritato. The Lazio Region has called for today all directions hospital, but the association asks you to do "clarity now, for the safety of operators and citizens."

The 64 year old residing in the center of Val Comino worked as an operator at the hall sectoral
of the Hospital San Giovanni Addolorata in Rome. "Three more people employed in the same sector - notes Maritato - have accused the same symptoms. Too much at once, too much in a company that has recently seen some eye-infected patients in the operating room, too much for health care workers who pay the price of cuts, reductions in services and cautions with regard to the protection of workers' health . And even more restless - added the President of Assotutela - know that sectoral in the hall of St. John a few days ago has been carried out in a water pipe on the part of the municipal energy and the environment. That there is a connection? Who controls the maintenance work in hospitals? "Asks Maritato.

[If this is a hemorrhagic fever, we seem to be beyond even a 21 day incubation period now with no new cases. - alert]

 

[alert]

Re: Rome, A suspicious outbreak at San Giovanni Hospital (Corriere.it, August 31 2013)

And one more from August 13th, looking less like a hemorrhagic fever. Not counting the cancer patient who died (who we don't know if she had these symptoms or not), the count seems to be 4 cases, with one death, all of which took ill about the same time. A toxic cause might be as likely as an infectious one.

http://www.ilmessaggero.it/ROMA/CRO...fermiere_muore_infezione/notizie/314805.shtml

Paramedic S. John died of hepatitis
the wife [says he was] infected in mortuary
The prosecutor opened an investigation into the death

FURTHER READING roma, hospital , St. John, nurse , died , infection
Chiara Acampora



ROME - A suspicious death on which you want to clarify . Fulminant hepatitis that in ten days he ripped the life of a man of 64 years who worked as a paramedic in the mortuary of the San Giovanni Addolorata .
For family members , upon the death of man , a native of a country Frusinate, there may be liability on the part of the healthcare facility .

THE SHELTER
On Sunday night , just hours after the death occurred at Tor Vergata Polyclinic , the wife filed a complaint to the police station Garden City assuming responsibility on the part of the hospital where her husband worked .

A suspicious woman the fact that man has accused the illness while he was at work and that they'd have similar symptoms three other people , including doctors , the same team that deals with autopsies. The three - complaint - would have been so admitted to St. John and the Spallanzani . The suspicion is that they may have been intoxicated by some substance. But at the moment it is still impossible to determine the nature of fulminant hepatitis . Only an autopsy will clarify if it was caused by toxic substances or not. The post-mortem examination will be carried out in the coming days . Following a complaint investigation was opened by prosecutors in Rome and was seized medical records of man.

THE ILLNESS
The paramedic accused the illness in late July. After be his was diagnosed with fulminant hepatitis , was first hospitalized for a few days in the hospital and then transferred to St. John the university hospital emergency Tor Vergata on August 9 to undergo liver transplantation. By the health department of the hospital explained that his condition was desperate , and despite the matching organ has been made ​​available in no time , man has done . The emergency transplant was performed on Saturday, but the 64 year old died the next morning. The fulminant hepatitis , explain Hospital, had already compromised major organs and when it arrived in the structure of Tor Vergata the man was also in a state of unconsciousness. The health department has already sent a detailed report to the Region who asked for an accounting.

" Not knowing the real causes fulminant hepatitis , the patient was treated as a precaution highly infected " by the hospital reassure Tor Vergata .

No comments on the issue by the Management of the Hospital of St. John, who is expecting the outcome of the investigations of the Prosecutor .
The complaint comes less than two months after the case of the two patients of 61 years , following an intervention , they risked losing the sight in one eye for a serious infection, endophthalmitis , which in severe cases can lead to blindness . It was the end of June when management stopped the operating sessions of Ophthalmology and investigations were initiated . To unleash the storm on the hospital was the complaint of Luke Gramazio , leader of the PDL in the region, who advanced to the suspicion that cause infections could have been surgical instruments not properly sterilized .

The infection was acquired for one of the two patients after a cataract operation trivial , while for the other to a more delicate surgery : vitrectomy . To shed light on the incident the general manager of the hospital Gian Luigi Bracelet appointed a commission external investigation to ascertain the causes and adopt the " most appropriate measures ." The Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin ordered an investigation and inspection regional president ordered to send the structure of a core assessment.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013 - 08:59
Last updated : 13:55