Legionnaire's disease in water system eyed
BY ADAM LISBERG
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
State health officials are investigating whether the death of a Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center patient may have been caused by an outbreak of deadly Legionnaire's disease bacteria in the hospital's water system.
The upper Manhattan hospital turned off its faucets and brought in bottled water while it sterilized pipes in the 675-bed Milstein Hospital building after the tragic death.
But the patient's family believes the hospital has failed to do enough.
"If they knew they had a problem with the water, why didn't they tell us to use bottled water?" asked Neil Montesano, whose 63-year-old father, Richard, died April 13 shortly after entering the hospital with a heart condition.
Richard Montesano used a machine that sprayed water in his throat to combat sleep apnea, his family says, but the hospital never warned them to avoid tap water.
"Maybe more cases will come out now," said Neil Montesano, 33, one of the Tarrytown man's four children.
The city medical examiner ruled that Richard Montesano died of an infection after having a catheter placed in his arm, but is waiting for lab results to determine whether Legionnaire's was a factor, a spokeswoman said.
Joe DiMura, a spokesman for the state Health Department, said the state was aware of the case. "We are investigating," DiMura said.
Columbia Presbyterian spokeswoman Myrna Manners would not comment on Montesano's death, but said the medical center regularly monitored its water for the Legionnaire's bacteria and spent millions of dollars to eliminate it once it was found.
"We want to take all the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the water,"
she said. "Our patients are our highest priority."
Legionnaire's bacteria is found in the water systems of many large buildings.
It rarely causes infections or deaths, but it is a particular hazard in hospitals where patients with compromised immune systems are often vulnerable.
Montesano contracted a 103-degree fever in late March and was diagnosed with Legionnaire's disease after a March 31 blood test, his family said.
Maintenance workers removed every faucet in the Milstein building the weekend of April 9 and 10, then superheated the building's water supply to near boiling as part of the cleaning, Manners said.
The hospital also ran a special chlorination process and installed an ionization system to kill the bacteria, in addition to bringing in bottled water for drinking.
Manners said the hospital is still waiting for final test results on whether the bacteria is gone.
Originally published on April 20, 2005
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