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CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL

Griffin Hospital Press Conference

Aired November 21, 2001 - 13:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We interrupt the Pentagon briefing to take you to that other news conference I mentioned at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut. An anthrax case there in critical condition.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

PATRICK CHARMEL, PRESIDENT, GRIFFIN HOSPITAL: ... go to her family, her friends and neighbors who have expressed concern for her well-being. And, again, I want to acknowledge those at Griffin that provided her care, from those who treated her in the emergency department, laboratory involved in the various tests that we talked about.

WOODRUFF: The -- Patrick Charmel with the hospital has just announced that 94-year-old Ottilie Lungren has died of inhalation anthrax. He said that just at the outset of this news conference. And we'll continue to listen to what he is saying.

CHARMEL: ... just a brief statement we wanted to make. Dr. Spear is here as well. We will take a few short questions and...

QUESTION: Did you have any hope at all that she was going to survive this?

CHARMEL: As we have been reporting, since we began to talk to the public and the press that her condition was very serious and critical. Of course, there was hope. But again, as Dr. Dobular and Dr. Quantzel reported that the mortality from inhalation anthrax was very high.

QUESTION: Is there a second person who's been admitted for the suspected anthrax?

CHARMEL: No, there has not.

QUESTION: Can you tell us what time it happened, what time she passed away?

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: 10:32.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike please.

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: She passed away at 10:32 this morning.

QUESTION: Was she with family and friends? Can you comment on that at all?

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: No, she was not.

QUESTION: Can you tell us all what else is happening here this morning?

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: I would not be the right person to get that information from.

CHARMEL: I can just briefly comment on that. I understand that local officials are speaking for the press now or will be shortly about the incident that is taking place outside the emergency department.

But just briefly, there was an incident where an individual presented in the emergency department, carrying an envelope that allegedly contained a suspicious substance. And she decided, after some consultation with her physician, to bring it to the hospital. It was contained when it was brought in. It was subsequently bagged and brought out of the hospital.

Local officials were informed and they have taken what they feel is an appropriate response. There is not a lot more that we can say at this point. There is an investigation going on. And, as you can see outside, there is a pretty aggressive response on the part of both local and state officials.

QUESTION: Did the woman complain about any symptoms that might be consistent...

CHARMEL: No, she is not.

QUESTION: And she is not being treated?

CHARMEL: She is not being treated. That's right.

QUESTION: Is she being discharged?

CHARMEL: She was never admitted for treatment. She didn't have any particular symptoms. She just felt it was appropriate it bring this suspicious item tomorrow to the hospital.

QUESTION: So she has left the hospital?

CHARMEL: She has.

QUESTION: Where does she live?

CHARMEL: My understanding is she lives in the town of Sheldon.

QUESTION: Is the CDC going to be performing the autopsy? Are they here in the hospital?

CHARMEL: The CDC is not presently here in the hospital.

QUESTION: Did the CDC know any word yet on whether the woman's relatives (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to start treatment for possible exposure to anthrax?

CHARMEL: There is some discussion right now, both by the part of the state health department and the CDC about appropriate precautions that should be taken by various individuals, whether they be postal workers or others. And I'm sure there is going to be more information coming out about that shortly. But that's something that will be released by the state health department and the CDC, not by the hospital.

QUESTION: Has her personal effects been handed over to her family or to the CDC or other authorities?

CHARMEL: That is something that we just can't comment on right now.

QUESTION: The case in the Bronx where the woman died of inhalation anthrax, the thinking was if perhaps she had gotten to the hospital a little bit sooner and they could have treated it sooner, she would have had a better chance. Is that the case here or were the odds stacked against her because of her age?

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: She presented extremely quickly to the emergency room and got antibiotics extremely quickly. It is hard to bring in the timeframe component to what happened to her here.

QUESTION: She got the antibiotics the following morning, however...

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: Right.

QUESTION: ... but an older woman coming in with fever and chills and the possibility of pneumonia, even with a negative chest x-ray and she was presumed to be dehydrated, would you have to presume that perhaps that woman could have pneumonia, even if the chest x-ray is negative, correct?

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: Not correct. Our recommendations are to pursue sources of infection before we begin treatment. Premature treatment could hinder diagnostic possibilities in terms of illucidating the cause of her fever. So we don't routinely treat everybody with fevers with antibiotics.

CHARMEL: OK. If there are no further questions. Thank you.

WOODRUFF: We have been listening to authorities at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut, give us the sad news that 94-year-old Ottilie Lungren, a woman diagnosed with anthrax just in the last few days, has died. She died, apparently, just about three hours ago at 10:30 this morning, Eastern time.

As we just heard them saying in this brief session with reporters, that yes, they had some hope she would survive, but they pointed out the mortality rate from inhalation anthrax is very high. Her condition was very serious and critical from the outset.

They went on to say that in reading between the lines, they believe they did the right thing. They got -- she got to the hospital quickly. They gave her antibiotics as quickly as they thought it was prudent to do so, which was last Saturday morning. She came in on Friday. But here we are on Wednesday and she has passed away. We also heard them say that there have, so far, been no other anthrax cases admitted.

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