35 U.S. deaths linked to scope infections

CHICAGO (Salvi Law) – A total of 35 people died in the United States after contracting infections from contaminated medical scopes made by Olympus. The deaths come after a company leader told execs not to issue warnings to U.S. hospitals about potentially deadly infections from the tainted scopes, according to a report from CNBC.

The Tokyo-based company controls 85 percent of the American gastrointestinal scope market. According to the report from CNBC, the decision to not issue a widespread warning to U.S. hospitals was made even though the company had already warned European customers about a potential risk of contamination. In an email thread, company execs decided not to warn hospitals unless they specifically asked about the risk of infection.

In the time since that email was sent in early 2013, at least 35 people have died in U.S. hospitals from infections contracted from the devices.

In 2013, an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant infections occurred at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. The outbreak was linked back to duodenscopes made by Olympus, Pentax and Fujifilm. In that case, 39 patients were infected and two died, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune.

The recent findings are a scary reminder that every day, people trust doctors, medical companies, and other healthcare professionals with their lives based on the fact they have a sworn duty to provide safe, ethical and accurate medical treatment to their patients.

But that doesn’t always happen, as in the case with Olympus. As many as 250,000 people in America are the victims of medical malpractice every year. And the two deaths in at Advocate Lutheran prove that sometimes these accidents occur far too close to home.

Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., focuses on seeking justice for victims and their families in Chicago and throughout Illinois. If you or a loved one was the victim of a situation such as the one with Olympus, we are here to help. The attorneys at Salvi Law have decades of experience with assisting medical negligence victims and their families in Chicago, Waukegan and throughout Illinois.

Contact us for an immediate, free and confidential consultation.