<span id="midArticle_start"/> The U.S. Department of Justice hassubpoenaed two more manufacturers of medical scopes linked todeadly so-called superbug outbreaks in recent weeks, USA Todayreported on Wednesday, citing two sources familiar with theinvestigation.
<span id="midArticle_0"/>Last week, reports revealed one duodenoscope manufacturer,Olympus Corp, was being investigated by the federalagency, but the broader reach of the investigation, includingsubpoenas to other makers including Fujifilm Holdings Corp and Pentax Medical, a unit of Ricoh, has notbeen reported previously, the newspaper said.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>Reuters was not able to immediately reach Olympus, Fujifilmand Pentax for comment.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>The complex design of these devices - flexible tubes thatare threaded through the mouth, throat and stomach to drainfluids from blocked pancreatic and biliary ducts - is associatedwith a risk of multidrug-resistant infections even when cleaninginstructions are followed correctly.
<span id="midArticle_3"/> <span class="first-article-divide"/>Duodenoscopes have been associated with episodic infectionsfor more than a decade, but those infections could often betreated with antibiotics. However, the rising tide ofantibiotic-resistant bacteria or superbugs, are making theseinfections more dangerous and difficult to treat.
<span id="midArticle_4"/> <span class="second-article-divide"/>Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, which suffered one ofthe largest and deadliest outbreaks of superbug infectionslinked with contaminated scopes, has also been subpoenaed, saidRando Wick, a lawyer representing the hospital.
<span id="midArticle_5"/>The Justice Department has asked for "thousands ofdocuments" related to healthcare offenses as defined in federalcriminal statutes, he told Reuters.
<span id="midArticle_6"/> <span class="third-article-divide"/>In recent months, Virginia Mason Medical and others havesued Olympus in connection with bacterial outbreaks associatedwith its duodenoscopes.
<span id="midArticle_7"/>The subpoena pertains to the medical center's communicationwith Olympus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state andlocal government authorities, Wick added. (Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by SteveOrlofsky)
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<span id="midArticle_0"/>Last week, reports revealed one duodenoscope manufacturer,Olympus Corp, was being investigated by the federalagency, but the broader reach of the investigation, includingsubpoenas to other makers including Fujifilm Holdings Corp and Pentax Medical, a unit of Ricoh, has notbeen reported previously, the newspaper said.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>Reuters was not able to immediately reach Olympus, Fujifilmand Pentax for comment.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>The complex design of these devices - flexible tubes thatare threaded through the mouth, throat and stomach to drainfluids from blocked pancreatic and biliary ducts - is associatedwith a risk of multidrug-resistant infections even when cleaninginstructions are followed correctly.
<span id="midArticle_3"/> <span class="first-article-divide"/>Duodenoscopes have been associated with episodic infectionsfor more than a decade, but those infections could often betreated with antibiotics. However, the rising tide ofantibiotic-resistant bacteria or superbugs, are making theseinfections more dangerous and difficult to treat.
<span id="midArticle_4"/> <span class="second-article-divide"/>Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, which suffered one ofthe largest and deadliest outbreaks of superbug infectionslinked with contaminated scopes, has also been subpoenaed, saidRando Wick, a lawyer representing the hospital.
<span id="midArticle_5"/>The Justice Department has asked for "thousands ofdocuments" related to healthcare offenses as defined in federalcriminal statutes, he told Reuters.
<span id="midArticle_6"/> <span class="third-article-divide"/>In recent months, Virginia Mason Medical and others havesued Olympus in connection with bacterial outbreaks associatedwith its duodenoscopes.
<span id="midArticle_7"/>The subpoena pertains to the medical center's communicationwith Olympus, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state andlocal government authorities, Wick added. (Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by SteveOrlofsky)
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