The contaminated steroid epidemic that has infected at least 478 people with fungal meningitis has gotten worse than previously thought: New, non-meningitis infections tied to the tainted steroids are surfacing across the country.
The non-meningitis infections are just beginning to get noticed after incubating in patients’ bodies for weeks. Like the spinal meningitis cases, these serious infections are the product of unsanitary conditions at New England Compounding Center (NECC).
Since Nov. 4, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been notified of 91 patients who developed adverse symptoms after receiving steroid injections produced by NECC. Those patients’ symptoms break down as follows:
- Spinal or paraspinal epidural abscess, 67 percent
- Meningitis, 29 percent
- Peripheral joint infection, 2 percent
- Multiple conditions, 2 percent
As you can see, abscesses are rapidly becoming a huge health problem associated with the contaminated NECC steroid injections. An abscess is characterized by a swelling and puss at the site of the injection, but some patients’ abscesses will only be detected by magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRI).
If you or a loved one has been seriously harmed by the tainted steroid vials, contact an experienced Michigan medication errors attorney to explore your options for recovering damages against all negligent parties.
McKeen & Associates, PC, is a Detroit-based law firm that’s forged a national reputation for winning injury cases in the medical field. For more information, call us at 313-524-8570.
Source: CBS News, “CDC Reports Increase In Non-Meningitis Infections Tied To Outbreak,” Ryan Jaslow, Nov. 21, 2012
