Moscow woman alleges hospital infected mother with deadly bacteria

Infected with a virus and thrown out of the hospital — that’s how, a Moscow woman believes, doctors at the local infectious disease hospital treated her elderly mother. The pensioner spent 36 days in the hospital and was discharged from there still ill. The woman’s family is convinced of this. The very next day after discharge, the patient’s daughter discovered a «surprise» in the test results. The Department of Health denies all accusations, stating that the hospital was not a source of the disease. Whether the virus is dangerous or not was investigated by MSK1.RU.

«They were looking for tuberculosis»

The story began in early autumn. 76-year-old Valentina was admitted to Infectious Disease Hospital No. 2 in Moscow on 11 September. The pensioner, according to medics in the emergency room, arrived already in a condition of moderate severity. She was short of breath, complained of weakness and a pre-fainting state.

Valentina was hospitalized and prescribed a course of antibiotics. In the first week, they even helped the pensioner. She felt better, doctors were preparing the patient for discharge, but suddenly a high fever and breathing problems returned.

«Her C-reactive protein (a marker of the acute phase of inflammation — Ed.) dropped from 120 to 53,» says the patient’s daughter Elvira. «Suddenly on a weekend she tells me: “My temperature rose to 37.4°C. I don’t really understand why the temperature was rising while on antibiotics.”»

Then, according to Elvira, the antibiotic course was increased, but the situation did not improve. The condition, although stabilized, did not improve in any way.

«I don’t really understand why double a non-working antibiotic? They told me it’s done to prevent resistance,» recalls Elvira. «And then 10 days without changes. Doctors said everything is excellent, the dynamics are positive. I didn’t believe it. I say: “Now let me tell you what I see. The dynamics are not positive, according to CT there is deterioration, C-reactive protein is crawling up, at that moment it had already risen from 50 to 100. She started breathing worse.”»

Then, according to Elvira, the treatment was changed again. The temperature fluctuated from 38°C to 37°C. Due to the antibiotics, gastrointestinal problems appeared. The pensioner lost a lot of weight, as her daughter admits.

«On 16 October, doctors looked and said that she already had resolved pneumonia and they were discharging her. But the person could barely crawl. Still had to take medication for two days,» explains the girl. «I think, why so urgently need to free up a bed? Wait two days, the culture will come, finish the treatment. She didn’t even have clothes. We admitted her to the hospital when it was warm. They didn’t give me time to bring her a jacket. Then, they bring her a hospital fleece without return. And so they send her away. She was in such slippers, with open toes.»

The next day, 17 October, Elvira in YAMIS discovered the culture results, which stated that Valentina’s tests had found Stenotrophomonas maltophilia — this is a bacterium that causes infections of the oral cavity, skin and soft tissues, bones and joints, biliary and urinary tracts. It is common in moist environments, including water. It can also be found in hospitals.

«This bacterium is a hospital-acquired infection, naturally resistant to most antibiotics. Mortality — 70%. The drug of choice is “Biseptol” (an antibacterial drug — Ed.). But it is resistant to it. And I read that upon detection of this bacterium, the person should be isolated, treated. That means the hospital needs to be cleaned,» explains the girl. «Mom is weak, breathing poorly. She says, it hurts her to breathe.»

At home on 17 October, Valentina felt ill again. She went by ambulance to the hospital from which she had just been discharged yesterday. Valentina was admitted, but literally on the same day sent home. According to Elvira, this was done because of the hospital-acquired infection. But this is not confirmed in the discharge or documents. Nevertheless, it states that the patient was admitted in a condition of moderate severity.

«On the evening of 16 October, the patient had severe weakness, shortness of breath. On 17 October, called an ambulance, delivered to Infectious Disease Hospital No. 2 with a referral diagnosis of “pneumonia”,» is stated in the discharge from 17 October.

«Comment from a doctor in the emergency department: “We do not admit patients with hospital-acquired infection” (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia). Also, a conclusion about mom having chronic heart failure was falsified, on the basis of which an ambulance was called to the hospital to transfer the patient to the cardiology department. But from hospitalization, as it did not match the profile, mom refused,» explained Elvira.

«They left her in danger»

Elvira continues to treat her mother for pneumonia, gastrointestinal diseases after a series of antibiotics, and for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. According to her, the family experienced stress. They feared for their mother’s life. Now they are ready to fight back. They wrote a statement to the prosecutor’s office and the Investigative Committee with a request to check the legality of the hospital’s actions.

Medical lawyer Vitold Aronsky believes that the hospital by its actions left the pensioner in danger.

«Hospital infection — this is a very antibiotic-resistant infection. The elderly are at risk, they get secondary infections. She was discharged home, being ill, that is, she was left without help. The hospital knew that she had a dangerous infection, this woman. And they pushed her out by the neck home. She cannot be treated at home, because no one has the place to treat this patient,» believes the lawyer.

So is the infection dangerous or not?

The editorial correspondent asked for an assessment of the infection that appeared in the pensioner’s tests from medical advisor of FGBU NITsEM named after N. F. Gamaleya Maria Ordzhonikidze. According to her, the infection is not fatal, but it cannot be ignored. The results said that the degree of infection is 10/5 — this is a borderline value that needs to be observed. In case of an increase in titer — treat.

«The identified virus has resistance to many antibiotics, but it is necessary to understand the need for treatment at this moment. One must evaluate not only the test data, but also the clinical picture. Possibly, the existing titer indicates recovery, for this one needs to do an analysis in dynamics and see if the number of bacteria is increasing, and also monitor body temperature indicators, oxygenation. It is important to assess the patient’s condition comprehensively.»

Earlier, a pensioner contacted the MSK1.RU editorial office due to the hospital’s refusal to issue him medicines under a benefit. Doctors told him that the drug, which he had taken for many years, was discontinued. However, it all turned out to be a lie. After a call from the editorial journalist, the drug was quickly found. We tell what it was about.