The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center announced on Monday, Sept.21, that it will voluntarily suspend all organ transplant operations at UPMC Presbyterian following the death of three transplant patients who contracted fungal infection.
The UPMC said that that transplant operations will be temporarily halted until it has identified the source and means to eradicate the mold that infected its patients.
The mold, which is commonly found on decaying plants, does not pose much risk to the general population but it can occasionally cause fungal infections in transplant patients who have compromised immune system.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that fungal infections are among the known health risks after a transplant operation.
The drugs that are used to prevent a patient from rejecting the new organ suppress the immune system, which increases their risks for infection that they would not normally worry about.
Of the three patients who have died because of the mold infection, two underwent heart transplant while the other one had a liver transplant.
A lung transplant patient who was found to have a fungal infection early September continues to fight the infection and is currently in "guarded" condition.
The mold was discovered in the hospital's cardiothoracic intensive care unit early this month forcing the hospital to move 18 of its patients.
"In consultation with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the nonprofit organization that manages the nation's organ transplant system, UPMC has chosen to voluntarily and temporarily suspend all organ transplant operations at UPMC Presbyterian until we have completed our investigation and are satisfied that we've done all we can do to address the situation," UPMC said in a statement.
UPMC said that the temporary postponement of transplant is expected to be resolved in two to three days.
The hospital said that it is still waiting for the results of mold cultures on air, surface and water samples from various locations throughout UPMC Montefiore and UPMC Presbyterian hospitals. It also said that it is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), CDC and fungal experts to help them with their next steps.
In an effort to control the problem UPMC Presbyterian has deployed disinfecting robots that use ultra-violet light to kill germs. It has also imposed several measures to prevent the spread of molds.
UPMC assured that its hospitals remain safe and continue to offer world class care performing hundreds of transplants in a year.
