Update: Northwestern Memorial Hospital issued a news release today that changed the dates when the pediatric resident was working to between Nov. 3 and Nov. 19, two days earlier than previously reported.

A Northwestern University doctor-in-training potentially exposed hundreds of patients, including infants, at three Chicago-area hospitals to tuberculosis in what is being called an unusual case of a medical-care provider putting patients’ health at risk.

The 26-year-old female pediatric resident was diagnosed Tuesday with TB at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after experiencing symptoms consistent with the infectious disease, hospitals and the Chicago Department of Public Health said. Symptoms of “active” TB include coughing, night sweats, fever, chills and weight loss.

As of Friday evening, no patients or workers related to this case had been diagnosed with TB. The three hospitals—Northwestern, Children’s Memorial and Evanston—said they believe the risk to patients is “minimal” from the resident, whose identity was not released. However, hospitals are continuing to notify patients Friday who may have been exposed to the resident over the past 10 months.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that usually affects the lungs but can also affect the brain, kidneys, spine and other body parts. The disease, which can be fatal if left untreated, remains common in many developing countries and is still found in the United States.

The pediatric resident most recently was at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where she came in contact with at least 150 children and infants and more than 300 workers, hospital officials said. Her work rotations also affected more than 100 patients, including 17 newborns, at Northwestern Memorial’s Prentice Women’s Hospital between Nov. 3 and 21.

An additional 80 babies at Evanston Hospital’s infant special care unit, including 20 who were still there Friday, and a “small group of employees” were in close contact with the doctor between Feb. 12 and March 11. All three hospitals are part of Northwestern University’s residency training program.

“She did have some time when she was contagious at those three institutions,” Dr. Susan Gerber, chief medical officer of the Public Health Department, said in an interview with the Tribune. “We are researching the different days and different places that she has been during the time that she would have been contagious.”

Experts said tuberculosis can remain hidden, or latent, without any symptoms for years.

Source:  chicagotribune.com

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