Legionnaire's cases in Atlanta
Amanda O’Donnell
February 6, 2009
4:07pm
One of the largest hospitals in Atlanta is under investigation as an unusual number of Legionnaire's disease cases were reported. Four patients were diagnosed with the infection since January
Legionnaires' disease is a bacterial infection that can cause potentially deadly pneumonia. More than likely the disease spread through the hospital's water or air. The bacteria do not spread from person to person. Instead, people get it from inhaling contaminated mist or vapor.
More than 80 beds on the hospitals 11th and 12th floors have been shut down. The hospital has more than 950 beds so I’m sure that having to shut those two floors down isn’t hurting them too much.
Each patient that reportedly had the disease were treated at Grady Memorial Hospital, sent home, then contracted the disease and were checked back into the hospital.
It is crazy how all these diseases can spread so quickly. But then again it’s amazing how more people did not end up with the disease since it only has to be in the air, there has to be no human contact. One thing that stood out the most to me though was the size of the hospital. This hospital has almost 1,000 beds, that’s A LOT. It almost makes me think that with bigger hospitals like this there is more of a chance of diseases like this spreading more often. It is a good thing that it was brought to their attention quickly though and they were able to take action. I don’t feel like there was any way to prevent what happened but they can try their hardest for it to stop spreading.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hc-cdg_b1JCEEw8w-dKeOOMVQr3gD9667D580
No comments:
Post a Comment