Widespread panic has resulted from a recent steroid injection recall by a compounding facility in Massachusetts, believed to have distributed 17,676 vials of potentially contaminated medication to 75 pain clinics in 23 U.S. states, including Tennessee. New England Compounding Center (NECC) and federal drug regulators believe that the epidural injection manufactured by the compounding pharmacy somehow became tainted by aspergillius, a common type of mold, leading to a national outbreak of deadly fungal meningitis. As of Wednesday, October 10, at least 137 people across the country have fallen ill with symptoms of fungal meningitis, and 12 of those people have died. Nashville and Middle Tennessee have suffered the greatest number of meningitis cases related to the tainted steroid injection, with many coming from the Saint Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgery Center, the Specialty Surgery Center, and PCA Pain Care Center. If you believe you may have been exposed to fungal meningitis from a tainted steroid injection, contact our meningitis outbreak lawyers at Michael D. Ponce & Associates immediately.
The New England Compounding Center is a type of facility known as a compounding pharmacy, which mixes up batches of medications on its own and distributes the drugs to hospitals and doctors. The benefits of using a compounding center instead of major manufacturer is that the facilities can custom-make drugs to treat patients with special needs. Also, the centers provide the medications at a much lower cost than drug companies, which is likely the biggest draw for medical centers and pain clinics. In most cases, compounding facilities provide a local service only, but NECC somehow distributed 17,676 vials of its potentially tainted methylprednisolone acetate to 75 pain clinics to 23 states across the country, including Tennessee. As a result, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that as many as 13,000 people may have been exposed to deadly fungal meningitis related to the contaminated epidural injection.
Steroid injections like methylprednisolone acetate have becoming increasingly popular method of pain relief over the past couple of decades, particularly for baby boomers struggling with chronic back pain. The epidural is typically injected directly into the spine to relieve pain associated with inflamed and irritated nerves. Unfortunately, as more and more patients in Tennessee and across the country fall ill with potentially fatal meningitis symptoms – which include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck and mental confusion – there is no way to tell how many more could have been exposed to the deadly disease. If you recently received a steroid injection from a medical center or pain clinic in Tennessee, and you think you may have been exposed to fungal meningitis, seek medical help immediately, and then call a qualified attorney to discuss your legal options. Contact our experienced meningitis outbreak lawyers at Michael D. Ponce & Associates today – the consultation is free.