Exclusive reporting by Chad Terhune and Melody Petersen linked the outbreak of deadly superbug infections at UCLA and other hospitals to a sophisticated medical device and revealed that the leading manufacturer long knew about the problems but failed to alert doctors to the danger. By piecing together details from individual outbreaks around the world, Terhune and Petersen exposed a pattern of problems with the Olympus duodenoscope that had been missed or ignored by federal regulators. The stories put critical information into the hands of patients, doctors and hospitals. One reader, Dr. Daniel Fink, wrote: “Another example of what true investigative journalism is all about, and what it can do to uncover wrongdoing which will help protect the public.” One day after The Times broke news of the UCLA outbreak in February, the Food and Drug Administration issued an alert to U.S. hospitals, warning that the device may be spreading bacteria because of a design flaw that makes it difficult to clean. Terhune later broke the news about similar outbreaks at two more California hospitals using Olympus scopes. The stories show what happens when corporate profits drive a company’s decision-making. Patients were put at risk again and again. Dozens were sickened; many died. Readers and medical professionals from around the world were appreciative — and outraged. Reader Debbie Bayer wrote, “Thanks for your article. I’m posting it in the surgery lounge where I work. These people should face criminal charges.”
