Discussions in Infection Control

An independent site by Lawrence F Muscarella PhD -- a national authority on the causes and prevention of healthcare-associated infections and related errors.

Category: Outbreak Investigations

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Audits Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Carbapenems Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) GI Endoscopes Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae NDM-producing E. coli Outbreak Investigations Pseudomonas aeruginosa

At Least Seven Deaths Linked to GI Endoscopes in Seattle, Washington

December 24, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

“The article that started a national discussion.“ December 5, 2014 — Federal health officials recently attributed a deadly “superbug” outbreak at a hospital near Chicago (IL), in 2013, to the…

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Bronchoscopes Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Cystoscopes Device Recalls Endoscope Sampling Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) FUJIFILM Klebsiella pneumoniae Olympus Outbreak Investigations Pentax Superbugs University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Superbugs, Contaminated Gastrointestinal Endoscopes, and a Growing Number of Hospital Infections: Is an FDA Action Imminent?

December 2, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

December 2, 2014 — Two superbug outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae were recently linked to contaminated gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes. These “nightmarish” bacteria are often abbreviated as CRE. These two outbreaks were…

Aseptic Technique Best Practices Colonoscopes Colonoscopy Disease Transmission Endoscope Reprocessing Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Fungal infections Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare Quality, Safety Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses HIV Infection Prevention Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Multi-Dose Medicine Vials Outbreak Investigations Patient Notification Published Infection Rates Quality Assurance Single-Dose Medicine Vials Sterility Syringes or Needles Transparency Veterans Health Administration

Recent Cases of Infection during GI Endoscopy and Other Surgical Procedures: A Focus on Patient Notification

September 30, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

September 30, 2014 — This article discusses a number of recent instances of transmission of the hepatitis C virus and other infectious agents during gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and other surgical…

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July 28, 2025 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
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May 13, 2025 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
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Endoscopy Patients at Vanderbilt Potentially Exposed to HIV and Hepatitis, County Officials Have Confirmed

November 26, 2024 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD
Bronchoscopes Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Endoscope Reprocessing Gastroscopes Infection Prevention Rebuttals TPT Medicare Payment Status

Dr. Muscarella’s Recent Recommendations to Medicare to Prevent Hospital-Acquired Infections

September 16, 2024 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD