Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125879387 - Lab Corp

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 11:00 a.m. on June 26, 2007, Employee #1, a Clinical Laboratory Scientist at a microbiology laboratory, LabCorp, located in San Diego, California, continued with a Microbiology Supervisor's patient blood culture work from the previous day. Employee #1 read the results and looked at the Petri dishes for colony morphology. She determined, based on her years of experience, that the classification of a gram positive rod shape organisms made by the Microbiology Supervisor was incorrect. At that point, Employee #1 believed that the Microbiology Supervisor misidentified the organism. She decided to perform another gram stain and a biochemical test outside a Biological Safety Cabinet to help in further defining the specific bacteria. What came out later on, blood cultures from patient's blood samples contained Brucella melitensis. While conducting blood culture manipulations outside the Biological Safety Cabinet, Employee #1 was exposed to pathogenic gram negative bacteria and contracted Brucellosis. While on vacation in August 9-15, 2007, Employee #1 began to exhibit signs and symptoms of illness. The incubation period for Employee #1's Brucellosis took approximately seven weeks. Employee #1 was diagnosed with Brucellosis on August 28, 2007 by the hospital's Infectious Disease physician. Employee #1 spent seven days at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California. She was released from the hospital on August 31, 2007, but kept on the two antibiotics for several months after her discharge from the hospital.

Keywords: LAB WORKER, INFECTION