'We failed:' Seattle Children's CEO says 7 older cases linked to Aspergillus mold

We failed: Seattle Childrens CEO says 7 older cases linked to Aspergillus mold

The CEO of Seattle Children's Hospital apologized on Monday and said doctors now believe seven older cases, including five deaths, are linked to ongoing mold problems in some surgical rooms. Dr. Jeff Sperring said Monday that between 2001 and 2014 seven patients developed Aspergillus infections. Five of them died, Sperring said. At the time, hospital officials thought that each of the cases was an isolated event. "Looking back, we should have made the connection sooner," Sperring said. "Simply put, we failed."

SEATTLE -- The CEO of Seattle Children's Hospital apologized on Monday and said doctors now believe seven older cases, including five deaths, are linked to ongoing mold problems in some surgical rooms.

Dr. Jeff Sperring said Monday that between 2001 and 2014 seven patients developed Aspergillus infections. Five of them died, Sperring said.

At the time, hospital officials thought that each of the cases was an isolated event.

"Looking back, we should have made the connection sooner," Sperring said. "Simply put, we failed."

The hospital closed all of its main operating rooms on Nov. 10 after the discovery of Aspergillus mold in three of its 14 operating rooms and two procedural areas.

On Nov. 14, Seattle Children's said it would keep 10 operating rooms and two storage rooms closed until the end of January to install new filtration systems amid ongoing mold problems.

Seattle Childrens Hospital shuts down main operating rooms amid mold investigation

State and county health departments are investigating the latest instance of mold at Seattle Children's Hospital. The hospital has shut down all of its main operating rooms after air tests found Aspergillus mold in three of its 14 operating rooms and two procedural areas. It's the same mold that killed a child earlier this year and infected five patients. The hospital says a third-party industrial hygienist will inspect the entire air handling unit, including all filters. Crews will also clean and sanitize the air handler and deep clean all of the main operating rooms and core rooms. The operating rooms are expected to be closed for at least 5 days. The King County Department of Health says one patient was infected with the latest incident. The first incident was reported in June 2018 and the second incident was reported in May.

"We will conduct a rigorous and thorough review of all the factors that led to this situation and we will continue to make changes including our culture, our leadership, and our systems, Sperring said. "Specifically how our high-reliability systems can better pick up patterns of these very rare but significant events."

Click here to read the full statement from Seattle Children's CEO Dr. Jeff Sperring

Aspergillus is a common mold often present in the air we breathe, but it can cause complications for surgical patients, as it did in May when the hospital revealed that one child died and five others were infected by the same mold.

The King County Department of Health says one patient was infected with the latest incident.

Surgeries that need to be performed at Seattle Children’s will be done in three operating rooms that already have upgraded filtration systems, the hospital said. Other cases could be sent to another hospital.

Patients and families can call 206-987-2550 or email family.feedback@seattlechildrens.org for more information.