3 patients died because of hospital bacterium in Rotterdam

The Klebsiella bacterium was most probably the death cause of three out of 27 patients at the Maasstad hospital in Rotterdam, the interim director Leon Eijsman said at a press conference on Friday. Out of the total 27 deaths that have been researched by University Medical Center in Leiden, there proved no relation between the bacterium and the death cause in 14 cases, while the death cause of ten deceased could not yet been determined. The Maassstad hospital would financially compensate relatives of the three patients. The hospital came to spotlight since June this year after the outbreak of the antibiotic bacterium named Klebsiella Oxa-48. The number of contaminations has increased from nine cases to 88 within only a few weeks. The former director who resigned in early August was highly criticized for his role in the outbreak of the multiresistant bacterium in the hospital, which was already detected in October of last year, but action was only taken in May 2011.