Hygiene is a fundamental part of any health center. The goal is not only to protect patients but also medical staff and thus avoid outbreaks. When the appropriate instructions are not followed, highly dangerous cases may occur, such as the alleged presence of bacteremia within a Mexican private hospital.
What is bacteremia?
The Bacteremia is the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream. It can occur spontaneously, during infection of certain tissues, due to the use of gastrointestinal tubes or venous catheters, or after dental or digestive procedures, wound healing or other maneuvers.
In-hospital infections: 1 in 20 patients acquires a
Classification of bacteremia
Depending on the number of different microorganisms found in the blood
- Monomicrobial.
- Polymicrobial.
According to its duration
- Keep going.
- Intermittent.
- Transitory.
Depending on the place of acquisition
- Out-of-hospital.
- In-hospital.
According to the focus
- Primary or of unknown origin.
- Occult bacteremia of the infant.
- Secondary bacteriaemias.
Everything we know about the case of bacteremia in a Mexican hospital
The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), in coordination with the General Directorate of Epidemiology (DGE) of the Ministry of Health, opened a investigation about research work initiated after receiving notifications related to patients who apparently developed a bloodstream infection (STI) after undergoing outpatient procedures at a private hospital in Mexico City.
The special health surveillance and pharmacovigilance protocol was immediately activated to address these notifications, through the Evidence and Risk Management and Health Operation commissions of Cofepris, in order to contain any possible health risk.
Why would bacteremia have been generated within the Mexican hospital?
The initial investigation will focus on determining whether the adverse reactions and probable STIs presented in patients could be related to a batch of the anesthetic Vitalis Siltafel (propofol) emulsion, identified with the number PR23J01 with an expiration date of October 2026.
During the verification visit, the specialized technical team collected information indicating that patients undergoing outpatient endoscopy procedures developed adverse reactions, including: fever, hypotension, asthenia, nausea, tachycardia, vomiting, headache, and chills.
It is worth mentioning that the patients are stable, most of them discharged, with no deaths so far. The DGE has begun the analysis of the clinical picture and evolution of the patients to characterize the symptoms and risk factors possibly involved with the event.
Every year 40 thousand Mexicans die from hospital-acquired infections
Another suspicious case that occurred in Jalisco
Additionally, Cofepris received a second notification from the Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks of the state of Jalisco (Coprisjal) about adverse reactions in patients who underwent outpatient procedures in a public hospital located in the city of Guadalajara. These reactions are apparently related to the same product.
Recommendations for doctors and the general population
Therefore, as a preventive measure, this health authority urges medical personnel to do not supply Vitalis Siltafel anesthetic lot PR23J01 and, if you have this product in a warehouse and/or pharmacy, it must be immobilized preventively; while distributors must stop marketing until this federal commission releases the analytical results of the special monitoring protocol activated.
In addition, relatives of patients who have recently undergone outpatient procedures are invited. endoscopy in private hospitalsto immediately notify the medical staff if they present any of the symptoms indicated so that they can initiate the corresponding protocol.
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