3 infants dead after bacterial infection

SUSAN: AS OF TODAY, THE NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT HERE AT GEISINGER MEDICAL CENTER IS DIVERTING ANY PREGNANT WOMEN WHO ARE DELIVERING BABIES UNDER 32 WEEKS OF GESTATION TO OTHER HOSPITALS. THREE VERY PREMATURE BABIES DIED IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER IN THE HOSPITAL’S NICU OF PSEUDOMONAS INFECTION. FOUR OTHERS WERE TREATED SUCCESSFULLY WITH I.V. ANTIBIOTICS. A FIFTH IS STILL BEING TREATED. THE HOSPITAL, ALONG WITH THE CDC AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, IS TRYING TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE BACTERIA. DOCTORS HERE SAY IT DOESN’T APPEAR TO BE IN THE NICU ITSELF — BUT AS A PRECAUTION, THEY HAVE DONE THINGS LIKE ADDITIONAL CLEANING AND CHLORINATION. PSEUDOMONAS IS A COMMON BACTERIA IN THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS IN VULNERABLE PATIENTS, LIKE VERY PREMATURE BABIES. PATIENTS WHO ARE DELIVERING BABIES UNDER 32 WEEKS OF GESTATION ARE BEING TOLD TO GO TO OTHER HOSPITALS, SUCH AS PHILADELPHIA’S CHILDRENS’ HOSPITAL AND PENN STATE HERSHEY AMONG OTHER HOSPIT

Hospital: 3 infants dead after bacterial infection

Five other babies also became ill

Updated: 6:18 PM EDT Oct 7, 2019

A Pennsylvania hospital says it is transferring some infants following a bacterial infection in its neonatal intensive care unit that affected eight newborns, three of whom have died.Geisinger Medical Center in Danville said Monday that four of the babies have recovered and one is still being treated with antibiotics.The hospital said all of the babies had been born prematurely, and the three deaths “may have been a result of the infection complicating their already vulnerable state due to extreme prematurity.”Officials say they are working with state and federal health authorities to make sure the pseudomonas waterborne bacterial infection has been eradicated.As a precaution, the hospital is transferring babies born at less than 32 weeks to other hospitals and diverting other expected premature deliveries to other hospitals.

DANVILLE, Pa. —

A Pennsylvania hospital says it is transferring some infants following a bacterial infection in its neonatal intensive care unit that affected eight newborns, three of whom have died.

Geisinger Medical Center in Danville said Monday that four of the babies have recovered and one is still being treated with antibiotics.

The hospital said all of the babies had been born prematurely, and the three deaths “may have been a result of the infection complicating their already vulnerable state due to extreme prematurity.”

Officials say they are working with state and federal health authorities to make sure the pseudomonas waterborne bacterial infection has been eradicated.

As a precaution, the hospital is transferring babies born at less than 32 weeks to other hospitals and diverting other expected premature deliveries to other hospitals.