Mr. DuVall and his wife had sued UPMC Presbyterian for negligence in January, claiming his infection was linked to a mold outbreak at the hospital. After undergoing his transplant in August, he was diagnosed with a fungal infection Sept. 3, right before the hospital discovered the mold and closed its cardiothoracic intensive care unit.
All total, four transplant patients at UPMC suffered fungal infections, and they are all now deceased.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner listed Mr. DuVall’s cause of death as multi-organ system failure due to sepsis, and the manner of death was listed as natural, according to the Post-Gazette. There will be no autopsy.
UPMC released a statement to the Post-Gazette, reading, “It is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of Mr. DuVall and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family as well as to our doctors and nurses who have worked with great compassion and skill to care for him. We again want to reassure our patients that we have taken every possible precaution to make our hospitals as safe as humanly possible, and have followed all recommendations made by federal and state regulators.”
Mr. DuVall’s lawyer told the Post-Gazette the lawsuit would be amended.
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