Improper sterilization practices at medical device manufacturers and hospitals blamed for rise in infections among patients. According to an investigation by the SonntagsZeitung and Le Matin Dimanche papers,contaminated medical devices could be responsible for infections of patients with dangerous bacteria like Mycobacteria chimaera. Around 12 patients in Switzerland hold been infected out of around 100 cases worldwide. Infections hold been linked to the expend of contaminated heating-cooler units found in cardiopulmonary bypass machines. Between 2005 and 2018, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) carried out 690 recalls of non-sterile medical devices, and an average of five warnings per month. These concerned 70 different implants and 65 models of cardiac catheters. It is not just manufacturers that hold been implicated. Hospital practices surrounding sterilization of medical equipment hold also been questioned. The investigation revealed that four Swiss ...
Source: swissinfo.ch