At least five people have died, and potentially hundreds of others have been infected as a result of a deadly bacteria acquired during open-heart surgeries performed at York Hospital.
Officials at WellSpan York Hospital have confirmed that a cluster of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, or NTM, infections were caused by contaminated heater-cooler devices that were used to control the temperature of people undergoing open-heart surgery. And they have acknowledged that the hospital did not follow strict protocols required in the cleaning of the devices.
An estimated 1,300 people who underwent heart surgeries requiring cardiopulmonary bypass at York Hospital from October 1, 2011, through July 24, 2015, are at risk of infection. The CDC believes there may be cases from other hospitals as well.
In addition to the five deaths, York Hospital has so far identified three other cases of the infection from its operating rooms.
Pennsylvania Health Department officials are urging anyone who underwent open-heart surgery at York Hospital during that period to see their physician as soon as possible.
If you or a loved one was injured as a result of York Hospital infections, you might be entitled to financial compensation through a hospital infection lawsuit. You should contact one of our leading hospital infection lawyers at Ross Feller Casey soon for a free case evaluation.
Ross Feller Casey has successfully litigated numerous multimillion-dollar lawsuits involving hospital infections.
The firm handles all its cases, including hospital infection lawsuits, on a contingency basis, so you will not pay anything until a financial recovery is made in your case.