In the News
A California congressman wants answers from the Food and Drug Administration in the wake of superbug infections at a local hospital now linked to contaminated medical scopes.
Dr. John Allen, a gastroenterologist, had to morph into a detective when 10 of his patients came down with the exact same type of rare bacterial infection. Alarmed and mystified, he and his colleagues rushed to find the source of the highly lethal superbug.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, called Monday for a congressional hearing on the potentially deadly "superbug" outbreaks that have been linked to contaminated medical scopes and caused at least seven infections, and two deaths, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
On Monday, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) sent a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, urging Congress to investigate efforts by FDA and medical device manufacturers to prevent further deaths and infections related to a recent drug-resistant superbug outbreak in California, the Los Angeles Timesreports, (Terhune, Los Angeles Times, 2/23).
Background
Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Manhattan Beach, called Monday for a congressional hearing on the potentially deadly "superbug" outbreaks that have been linked to contaminated medical scopes and caused at least seven infections, and two deaths, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Congress should launch an investigation into what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is doing to prevent additional superbug infections after a deadly outbreak at a Los Angeles hospital linked to tainted medical scopes, a lawmaker said Monday.
A U.S. lawmaker on Monday called on the Congress to investigate the medical scopes blamed for an outbreak of a bacterial "superbug" at a University of California, Los Angeles hospital that has infected seven patients.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), is calling on the House Oversight Committee to hold hearings on a "superbug" that has led to two deaths at a hospital in his district.
Lieu wrote in a letter to Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) that the "superbug" has "both health and national security risks."
Prompted by the UCLA superbug outbreak, a federal lawmaker is calling on Congress to investigate what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and device makers are doing to prevent further patient deaths and infections.
Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) on Feb. 13 released the following statements to condemn the use of excessive police force against Sureshbhai Patel, an Indian grandfather who was left partially paralyzed after an encounter with Alabama police.