Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Two patients are dead at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center. The cause: a deadly infection from a bacteria known as CRE. Almost 180 more people may have been exposed since October, too.
It was spread by two endoscopes -- devices inserted down the throat to treat various conditions. It's believed the bacteria survived the disinfection process before they were used on other patients.
Dr. Louise-Marie Dembry, hospital epidemiologist at Yale-New Haven Hospital and president-elect of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, explains why the disinfecting science and procedures in hospitals won't ever be 100 percent effective.