More people infected by dirty medical scopes, report finds

SEATTLE – At least 250 people, mostly in the U.S., were sickened with life-threatening “superbug” infections linked to contaminated medical scopes in the past three years – more than previously estimated by federal regulators, according to a new Senate committee report released Wednesday.

The report found that at least 25 outbreaks of patient infections tied to the specialized devices called duodenoscopes sickened people in four countries and 10 states between 2012 and early 2015.

Last year, the federal Food and Drug Administration reported the medical devices from Olympus Corp. and other manufacturers were linked to 142 patient infections.

The latest report from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions was commissioned by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the committee’s ranking member.

Murray called for the review last January following the outbreak of antibiotic-resistant infections tied to the medical devices at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. The devices were used to identify and treat conditions of the pancreas and bile duct.

At least 32 patients at Virginia Mason contracted infections in 2013 and at least 11 later died, though it’s unclear whether those deaths were a direct result of the infections, the report said.

Patients were sickened by dangerous bacteria that remained on specialized scopes even after they were cleaned according to manufacturers’ directions.

Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, was among the other hospitals that said some of its patients contracted the antibiotic-resistant “superbug” linked to the scope.

In August, it notified public health authorities after several patients who had procedures using Olympus duodenoscopes were found to have the bacteria.

“Patients should be able to trust that the devices they need for treatment are safe and effective,” Murray said in a statement.

The report recommends a number of legislative and regulatory changes. It urges Congress to require that unique device identifiers be included in insurance claims, electronic health records and device registries. It says the FDA should evaluate whether design modifications are needed and if so, require manufacturers to implement repairs through a phased recall.

“We appreciate the report from Sen. Murray and will carefully consider its recommendations, many of which FDA is already taking steps to address,” FDA spokeswoman Deborah Kotz wrote in an email.