Legionella bacteria found at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital after patient post-mortem

A detection of Legionella bacteria at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth has led to 16 rooms being treated for the bacteria and two patients receiving precautionary antibiotics.

A deceased patient, who had been receiving palliative care, was found to be infected with Legionella pneumophila during a post-mortem examination.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the North Metropolitan Health Service said it could not be concluded the person had died as a direct result of Legionella pneumophila.

“The hospital does not receive the Coroner’s autopsy report so it is not possible to determine the contribution of the Legionella,” she said.

After the infection was confirmed, water filters were installed in two rooms where that patient had been receiving care.

Initial samples showed a positive result for Legionella pneumpohila in those rooms and heated water flushing was conducted.

One of the rooms was reopened but the other remained closed.

The hospital then treated 14 other rooms which had to be closed for two hours, but all had since been reopened.

“Following the immediate application of bacterial filters to the two rooms and their remediation, together with a comprehensive inpatient review, the risk to staff and patients was considered extremely low,” the North Metropolitan Health Service spokeswoman said.

“However, as a precautionary measure two patients who were considered at high risk on the same ward were informed and agreed to receiving a prophylactic antibiotic.”

The spokeswoman said it was not uncommon for some bacteria to be found in a hospital’s water supply and Sir Charles Gairdner was regularly tested.

Legionella bacteria can lead to the potentially deadly Legionnaires’ disease.

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