Suits Filed Against Hospital In Pasadena Over Deaths Possibly Linked To Medical Scopes

PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — Questions have emerged over the deaths of three patients at a hospital in Pasadena, leaving some to wonder why Huntington Memorial Hospital did not reveal the information sooner.

At least three lawsuits have been filed against Huntington Memorial Hospital and Olympus Corp., the maker of a medical scope suspected of being contaminated.

Attorney Pete Kaufman represents three patients he says were treated with the scopes at Huntington Memorial Hospital. Two of them died.

"These scopes are expensive, about $40,000, and obviously they're used more than once," he said.

The lawsuit cites negligence and products liability.

"Olympus said that they had figured out a way to clean it but there were outbreaks all over the world for a couple of years leading up to the outbreaks at UCLA, at Cedars-Sinai, and at Huntington Memorial," Kaufman said.

At the time, UCLA and Cedars reported the outbreak, while Huntington Memorial did not, citing patient privacy.

A hospital spokesperson says, despite following FDA cleaning guidelines, three patients developed infections in 2015.

"We quickly notified relevant public health authorities including Pasadena Public Health and the Food & Drug Administration. Simultaneously, our physicians began outreach to every patient who underwent a procedure using an Olympus scope in the preceding months," said Paula Verrette, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Huntington Memorial Hospital in a statement.

Representative Ted Lieu (D-Los Angeles) has introduced two bills aimed at manufacturers – to prevent outbreaks – telling CBS2:

"Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a major threat to public health. Patients should not be worried that undergoing a routine medical procedure could lead them becoming infected with a deadly superbug."

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages. Olympus Corp. declined to comment on pending cases.