MEDICINAL LEECH
Report
- Report Number
- 2419564-2025-00001
- Event Type
- Malfunction
- Date Received
- January 16, 2025
- Date of Event
- December 17, 2024
- Report Date
- July 25, 2025
- Manufacturer
- LEECHES USA LTD.
- Product Code
- NRN
- UDI-DI
- 00861028000300
- PMA / PMN Number
- K040187
- Product Problem
- Yes
- Report Source
- Manufacturer report
- Reporter Location
- MI, US
- Reporter Occupation
- PHARMACIST
- Health Professional
- Yes
Narratives
PRIOR TO RELEASE FOR SALE, THE LEECHES WERE SUBJECT TO MICROBIAL TESTING AND FOUND CONFORMING TO SPECIFICATIONS. SUBSEQUENTLY THE LEECHES CAME INTO CONTACT WITH BOTTLED DISTILLED WATER ONLY UNTIL THEY WERE DELIVERED TO THE HEALTHCARE FACILITY. MANUFACTURING RECORDS (DHR) WERE REVIEWED AND NO NONCONFORMANCES WERE IDENTIFIED. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE CONTAMINATION DETECTED BY THE HEALTHCARE FACILITY WAS PRESENT IN THE SHIPPING WATER OR WHETHER THE WATER WAS CONTAMINATED DURING THE PROCESS OF SAMPLING OR CULTURING. THE LEECHES THEMSELVES WERE NOT TESTED AND TESTING IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE, SINCE THEY WERE DESTROYED BY THE HEALTHCARE FACILITY. INVESTIGATION IS IN PROGRESS. IF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE, A FOLLOW-UP REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED.
SINCE THE ALLEGEDLY AFFECTED LOT HAD BEEN SOLD OUT AT THE TIME THE COMPLAINT WAS RECEIVED AND THE HEALTHCARE FACILITY HAD DISCARDED THE DEVICES IT RECEIVED, A DIFFERENT LOT WAS TESTED FOR RHODOCOCCUS BY THE MANUFACTURER. NO RHODOCOCCUS WAS DETECTED. IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO CONFIRM THE PROBLEM REPORTED BY THE HEALTHCARE FACILITY. TRENDS WILL BE MONITORED FOR THIS AND SIMILAR ISSUES. AT PRESENT, WE CONSIDER THIS COMPLAINT TO BE CLOSED. IF ADDITIONAL RELEVANT INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE, THE COMPLAINT WILL BE REOPENED. FIELDS B4, G3, G6, H2, H6, AND H11 WERE MODIFIED IN THIS SUPPLEMENT REPORT.
THIS SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT IS BEING SUBMITTED TO CORRECT PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED INFORMATION. IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE USER, THIS LOT WAS NOT CONTAMINATED WITH MORGANELLA MORGANI NOR WITH OCHROBACTRUM. RHODOCOCCUS ERYTHROPOLIS WAS THE ONLY UNEXPECTED PATHOGEN FOUND. PATIENT INFECTION BY RHODOCOCCUS ERYTHROPOLIS OR OTHER RHODOCOCCUS STRAINS HAS NOT BEEN LINKED TO LEECHES IN LITERATURE AND IS RARELY REPORTED WITH REGARD TO OTHER ROUTES OF TRANSMISSION. THE SENSITIVITY RATE OF RHODOCOCCUS ERYTHROPOLIS TO CIPROFLAXIN, ONE OF THE ANTIBIOTICS RECOMMENDED IN THE LEECH USER MANUAL FOR PROPHYLACTIC USE, IS EQUAL TO OR GREATER THAN 80%. THUS, ROUTINE PROPHYLACTIC ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT AS RECOMMENDED BY PRODUCT LABELING IS ADVISABLE TO MITIGATE ANY REMAINING RISK OF INFECTION. INVESTIGATION IS IN PROGRESS. IF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE, A FOLLOW-UP REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED. THE FOLLOWING FIELDS WERE CORRECTED IN THIS SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT: B3, B5 AND G3. H11 HAS BEEN UPDATED.
DURING ROUTINE CULTURE PERFORMED OF LEECH SHIPPING WATER UPON DELIVERY BY THE HEALTHCARE FACILITY PHARMACY, RHODOCOCCUS ERYTHROPOLIS, MORGANELLA MORGANII AND OCHROBACTRUM SPECIES WERE DETECTED. ALL LEECHES IN THE SHIPMENT WERE DESTROYED. THEY WERE NOT USED ON A PATIENT.
DURING ROUTINE CULTURE PERFORMED OF LEECH SHIPPING WATER UPON DELIVERY BY THE HEALTHCARE FACILITY PHARMACY, RHODOCOCCUS ERYTHROPOLIS WAS DETECTED. ALL LEECHES IN THE SHIPMENT WERE DESTROYED. THEY WERE NOT USED ON A PATIENT.
Devices
| Seq | Brand | Generic | Product Code | Manufacturer | Model | Lot | UDI-DI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1252057 | MEDICINAL LEECH | MEDICINAL LEECH | NRN | LEECHES USA LTD. | LE 2000 | 24/922/B | 00861028000300 |
Patients
| Seq | Age | Sex | Outcome | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NA | Unknown |