The Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System reopened its University Drive intensive care unit Dec. 10 after it was shut down to clean mold out of its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The mold was discovered by technicians Dec. 5 while conducting routine maintenance of the HVAC system. After identifying the fungal growth, the technicians shut down the affected system immediately and clinical care teams moved six ICU patients to appropriate levels of care elsewhere in the medical center.
None of the six patients moved from the ICU, or any others in the vicinity, have reported being infected by the mold, according to the report.
"Patient safety is our top priority, and mold — while it lives everywhere — just doesn't belong and most certainly isn't welcome in our hospital," Brooke Decker, MD, the Pittsburgh VA's director of infection prevention, said in a statement. "In this instance, we knew there was no risk to patients, but we acted anyway."
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