Premature intestinal germ infection in the heart center

Totes Frühchen got infected with gut germ in the heart center: Gesundheitssenator criticizes the poor communication between the clinics Charité and Herzzentrum

26/10/2012

As reported by the Berlin health authorities, the premature baby, who died on 5 October, did not get infected with the intestinal germ in the Charité, as was previously thought, but in the neighboring heart center. A crisis team should now provide information. It is possible that the body of the deceased child will be exhumed for an autopsy.

Germ burden in Charité and heart center becomes to itself „expanding crisis "
After a newborn in the Berlin Charité had died on 5 October from an infection with so-called Serratien germs, intestinal bacteria, the prosecutor's office has begun their investigation for negligent homicide. How it came to the infection of the now 22 affected babies, is still not cleared up.

While it was initially assumed that the deceased baby was infected at the Charité preemie ward, the child was supposed to have been free of germs when it was moved from the university hospital to the heart center. This was announced by the district office Berlin-Mitte on Friday. Anke Elvers-Schreiber, head of the Health Department Center, said that although Baby was previously infected with the bowel germs in the Charité, she was successfully treated so that the child was delivered to the Heart Center for the treatment of his heart disease. In total, four children in the heart center were infected with the virus. An infection with Serratien germs is especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems such as preemies.

Two more stations of the Charité burdened with intestinal germ
Karl Schenkel, Head of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine in the district of Mitte, reported on three affected wards in the maternity hospital of the Charité and two at the cardiac center, whereby a maternity ward should be free of germs since Tuesday. „At the two affected stations, a total of six sick children will be treated with antibiotics“, it says in the current press release of the Charité. „The therapy is well received by all patients. The signs of infection continue to decline.“ At present there are still seven children under close observation.

„The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Campus Charité Mitte has no supply restrictions. Regular deliveries from week 36 onwards are possible at the Campus Virchow-Klinikum as well as at the Campus Charité Mitte“, It is said in the message of the Charité, after a stop recording for the affected stations had been arranged.

Prosecutor investigates for negligent homicide
So far, it is still unclear when it came to the outbreak of the intestinal germ in the heart center. Meanwhile, the prosecutor investigates for negligent homicide. Evidence was collected both in the Charité and in the heart center. Investigations focus on the period from September to today, a spokesman for the prosecution said. It is possible that the deceased and already buried child will be exhumed for an autopsy. An external medical examiner had to thoroughly examine the situation and then decide whether an autopsy would make sense. The investigators had only received information on Wednesday that the baby was already buried.

Strong criticism of the crisis management of the Charité
After the crisis management of the Charité was heavily criticized in connection with intestinal germ infections, representatives of the University Hospital and the Heart Center under the direction of Science Senator Sandra Scheeres (SPD) provide information. Previously, there had been numerous information breakdowns in the university hospital, which belongs to Scheer's area of ​​responsibility. Mario Czaja (CDU), Berlin's health senator, said Thursday in the House of Representatives that the team would meet on Friday and ensure better communication between the institutions. Czaja said in an interview with the „Frankfurter Rundschau“: „In recent days, it has been shown that the communication policy of the Charité is deficient. In public and especially with the relatives of small patients this has unnecessarily led to uncertainty. In future, I expect the Charité to be more professional in matters of communication. This shows that night adjustments are required.“ (Ag)

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