You will probably have heard of the dramatic story of premature babies who died in Bolzano in these days. Last week, two small hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of the San Maurizio hospital lost their lives due to a serious infection and there are currently 10 other infected babies.
Fortunately, according to the health company of South Tyrol:
The health conditions of the 10 admitted premature babies continue to be stable.
But what happened to these children? The investigations now seem to have identified the cause of the infection in a bacterium that had been nestled within some tools widely used in the hospital.
Where the bacterium was found
The analyzes of the Nas carabinieri revealed traces of the bacterium Serratia Marcenscens In the Beccucci and the dispenser of the detergent used to wash tears and bottle. This bacterium, often harmless to healthy adults, is instead extremely dangerous for premature babies, whose immune system is still too immature. In small hospitalized, Serratia caused very serious sepsis, unfortunately they were fatal for two babies.
There Serratia Marcenscens It is not surprisingly one of the most feared pathogens in the hospital: it easily nestled in detergent solutions and humid environments and can resist for a long time. For premature babies, the risk of serious complications such as sepsis and pneumonia is very high. The judiciary will also evaluate any autopsies on the two small ones to precisely reconstruct the dynamics of infections and ascertain whether it was an unpredictable event or possible flaws in the controls and management of the material in the ward.
But how did the bacterium come to contaminate Beccucci and dispenser? The investigators are considering several possibilities. Among these:
Only further analyzes will be able to establish which of these hypotheses is the most likely. The Bolzano prosecutor has opened a file to clarify the chain of responsibilities.
Urgency measures in hospitals
Following the discovery, the Healthcare Company of South Tyrol has decided to suspend the use of the detergent in all hospitals in the province. The still hospitalized infants, even those without symptoms, were transferred to an isolated area and under close surveillance, while the most serious cases were transferred to the Trento hospital.
Extraordinary checks on hygiene and sanitizing protocols are also underway. The health management expressed its condolence to affected families and ensured full collaboration with the judicial authorities.
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