Hundreds Of Babies At Risk In TB Scare

S.F. Hospital Informs 960 Mothers That Former Postpartum Unit Employee Was Infected

(AP)  Kaiser Permanente is telling 960 mothers that they and their babies may have been exposed to a San Francisco maternity ward worker diagnosed with active tuberculosis.

Kaiser announced it had started notifying patients Tuesday about the worker formerly employed in the postpartum unit of its San Francisco Medical Center.

The part-time employee worked at Kaiser from March 10 to August 10 and no longer works for the organization.

Kaiser learned of the employee's diagnosis last week and said the medical center followed all appropriate screening procedures when hiring the employee.

"We feel that this is a low-risk exposure, but we want to be aggressive about identifying any potential contacts," Dr. Stephen Parodi, chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Dr. Parodi said the infection risk for patients was low and that the worker had a common strain of TB that responds well to antibiotics.


For more information visit the Web site of Kaiser Permanente, or call Kaiser at [phone].

[pirmin3]

"Shut up you liberals, it responds will to antibiotics! "
What else would you expect a GOP doc to say at a no-bid contract hospital? Probably on his way to the country club.

[deacon20081]

I have worked in a hospital. There is no excuse for this event to have occured. Every staffer, nurse, physician, worker, you name it, is routinely tested.
Precautions are mandatory. I guess in SF they are too preoccupied with gay Marriage Plans.

[beehive21-2009]

Never go to a Hospital.unless your dead.

[lloydbest1]

"Dr. Parodi said the infection risk for patients was low and that the worker had a common strain of TB that responds well to antibiotics."

Does anyone else have a problem with the concept of "common strain of TB"?

[reedtaz73]

IN YOUR perfect little world NOTHING ever goes wrong, does it?
I suppose in the fairie tale in which you live all 1100 Hospital Staff, contractors, volunteers, and vendors get tested for TB every day, right?

Gimmie a BREAK!!! Posted by DaVicar2 at 10:27 AM : Aug 27, 2008


Your''re right and wrong...Yes,people sometimes slip through the cracks in the system but hospital staff from doctors to housekeeping are tested at least once a year. No excuses...If she was exposed to TB a simple chest xray would reveal it...This lady TB was active and she should be held responsible...she knew it and her employee healthcare dept. failed the patients by not following up on their employee.

[pollroller1]

There is nothing to worry about. I am sure that gop-forever will pray for all of the babies that were born in that hospital. After all he is a republican.

[edward1975-2009]

In San Francisco, lucky they weren''t exposed to something else.

[nothappyatall]

Shut up you liberals, it responds will to antibiotics!
Posted by gop_forever"

So they CLAIM in order to cover their azz from lawsuits, antibiotic resistant strains are growing. Once infected TB doesnt just go away like a cold even after it''s treated.

[docpeter-2009]

There is nothing to worry about. I am sure that gop-forever will pray for all of the babies that were born in that hospital. After all he is a republican.

Posted by pollroller1 at 11:27 AM : Aug 27, 2008
________________

WRONG!

I am a vindictive feminist Hillary supporter and I am voting for McCain out of spite.

Posted by gop_forever at 09:33 AM : Aug 27, 2008 (on another blog)

[credibility2]

Remote possibility of any infection, but easily treated? What a bunch of morons to have contributed to placing these newborns into harm''s way. I doubt if the hospital appropriately screened the individual responsible for causing this avoidable and preventable problem. I hope the hospital is sued and has to pay heavily for their malfeasance and total disregard to the safety and health of all of their patients.

[docpeter-2009]

Your''''re right and wrong...Yes,people sometimes slip through the cracks in the system but hospital staff from doctors to housekeeping are tested at least once a year. No excuses...If she was exposed to TB a simple chest xray would reveal it...This lady TB was active and she should be held responsible...she knew it and her employee healthcare dept. failed the patients by not following up on their employee.

Posted by reedtaz73 at 11:19 AM : Aug 27, 2008
__________
I don''t know of doctors being tested every year, at least not at the hospital I worked in for 15 years. The staff was annually tested, especially the ones that came in contact with the patients.

So, it is possible that the nurse tested negative at initial evaluation (March 10. 2008), acquired the disease and then tested postitive on or befoer August 10, 2008 (as stated in the above article).

And no, the routine test for Tb is not the chest x-ray, it is the Tb skin test, which, if it is positive the first try a second one is given, if that one is positive then x-rays and treatment are begun immediately whether the x-ray is positive for a gohn focus (evidence of Tb) or not. The nurse would skin test for the Tb antibody long before x-ray will reveal the presence of infection.

[erasmus81]

Is this a privately owned hospital?

[blamegovt]

Typical actions from San Francisco LIBS. Still waiting for the city to fall into the Pacific Ocean and Make America abetter place for all.

[pollroller1]

I sure hope that none of those babies test positive. What a terrible thing to be faced with.

[haoli25]

TB is just another of the many ''gifts'' our illegal friends from south of the border bring us.

[erasmus81]

Are you avoiding me haoli?:)

[observer2020]

gop_forever: How can a baby be a sinner? You say absolutely the MOST funniest things. I can see those babies smoking, drinking, having intercourse, cursing, and let''s not forget s3x with other babies that are the same gender! WAY TOO FUNNY! You''re on a roll today!

[haoli25]

Are you avoiding me haoli?:) Posted by erasmus81



NEVER! bows

[newmark3]

"0Blame govt" you are so funny, when you thought you done heard it All. But I do agree, I am not surprise of where this outbreak happen, in Sodom and Gomorrah

[bretster7]

Just tell the lib''s this is a form of retroactive abortion, and they will all be in favor of it.

[erasmus81]

"NEVER! bows"

Then why haven''t you answered my question?
I have been chasing you all over the d-amn website!

[haoli25]

Then why haven''''t you answered my question?
I have been chasing you all over the d-amn website!
Posted by erasmus81


And that question is?

[myopinion381]

gop_forever: How can a baby be a sinner? You say absolutely the MOST funniest things. I can see those babies smoking, drinking, having intercourse, cursing, and let''''s not forget s3x with other babies that are the same gender! WAY TOO FUNNY! You''''re on a roll today! Posted by observer2020 at 02:35 PM

Observer2020: I''m sure that is exactly what GOP_forever was thinking. I bet he/she was doing the same thing at that age (sarcasm inserted here to GOP).

[erasmus81]

"And that question is?"

Posted by haoli25 at 03:42 PM : Aug 27, 2008

Why does "what''s his face" keep posting just a "t" or whatever? On one article he did that 5 times. I counted! Usually it''s a "t", but there was an "a" once. hahaha (i can''t stop laughing) And then there was your "o".:) His name starts with a "P". I don''t want to hurt his feelings by naming him. You know who I mean, right?

Like what do you think his problem is?

[erasmus81]

There''s no way he''s doing it on purpose, right?

[erasmus81]

I thought maybe he was trying to spell something, but he wasn''t.:)

[pollroller1]

If they contact the disease, that just means they were sinner babies.

Posted by gop_forever at 02:05 PM : Aug 27, 2008
Steve Colbert would be proud. LOL

[haoli25]

Why does "what''''s his face" keep posting just a "t" or whatever? On one article he did that 5 times. I counted! Usually it''''s a "t", but there was an "a" once. hahaha (i can''''t stop laughing) And then there was your "o".:) His name starts with a "P". I don''''t want to hurt his feelings by naming him. You know who I mean, right?

Like what do you think his problem is?
Posted by erasmus81


Yes, I know who you are talking about. And NO, I don''t know either. I thought it was pick your favorite letter time and I chose ''O''. lol

O

[erasmus81]

"I thought it was pick your favorite letter time and I chose ''''O''''."

Haha.
Thanks for answering!

[haoli25]

Thanks for answering!

Posted by erasmus81


My pleasure.

[Meg003]

The federal government requires public schools to allow children of aliens to attend school without the immunization records that the children of U.S. citizens must have. Everyone is at risk because of this. I don''t see what is so special about this one group of babies. All of our public school children are being exposed, as are their teachers.

[docpeter-2009]

The federal government requires public schools to allow children of aliens to attend school without the immunization records that the children of U.S. citizens must have. Everyone is at risk because of this. I don''''t see what is so special about this one group of babies. All of our public school children are being exposed, as are their teachers.

Posted by Meg001 at 08:57 PM : Aug 27, 2008
___________
First, there is no immunization for Tb, only treatment.

Second, if all of your/our children are immunized then, supposedly, the immigrants kids pose no health threat to immunized kids. Therefore, the only risks would be to alien kids, not American kids.

[jdubs63]

BlameGovt and deacon20081... your comments STINK and rude to say the least!!!

[Meg003]

First, there is no immunization for Tb, only treatment.

Second, if all of your/our children are immunized then, supposedly, the immigrants kids pose no health threat to immunized kids. Therefore, the only risks would be to alien kids, not American kids.

Posted by docpeter

Certainly tb is a major threat, and you are right, there is no vaccination. But U.S. citizens must show immunization records which contain proof of tb testing and follow-up reading. While the tb test is not a vaccination, one form is used to record the immunizations and the tb test.

Few vaccinations are 100% effective, and some children cannot take vaccinations. So we are all at risk from these exemptions given to alien invaders'' children.

[libsluv2spit]

MY GOD! what a tragic situation. I hope that this is just running on paranoia and the babies are okay.