The recent deaths of two transplant patients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Mt. Nebo Pointe, PA, were linked to bed linens infected with mold.
An internal report by UPMC filed with the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas said the mold came from the ventilation systems of Paris Healthcare Linen Services, the laundry service for UPMC. The service used outside air to dry the linen after washing, leaving it infested with fungus.
Currently, Paris Healthcare Linen Services is included as a defendant with UPMC in two separate wrongful death lawsuits.
“We have learned finally what the source of the fungus was the kills all of these patients,” Pittsburgh attorney Brendan Lupetin told the Tribune-Review. “Right now we have great concerns on the extent to which remediations have been made to ensure that clean and safe linens are actually being used on the patients at UPMC, specifically the immune-suppressed people.”
UPMC declined to comment on the allegations.
