In a deadly outbreak that has killed 15 and spread to at least 13 U.S. states and 200 patients, the State of Texas has identified its first fungal meningitis case from the NECC tainted steroid shots. The infected patient is a woman in Central Texas. (Source: click2houston.com, 10/12/12)
Texas health officials had already announced that the Dallas Back Pain Management clinic and the Harris Methodist Southlake Hospital had received some of the contaminated steroid vials from the NECC (New England Compounding Center). The steroid drug was found contaminated with two strains of fungus. The injectable steroid drug is used to mitigate lower back pain.
The fungus can be difficult to detect and meningitis from the contamination can take weeks to present symptoms after the steroid injection. Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain and central nervous system tissue resulting from infection. Reaction to the fungus can also lead to clotting in the blood vessels, resulting in stroke.
U.S. health officials have announced that as many as 14,000 patients might have been exposed to the fungus. This is up from an earlier estimate of around 13,000. Because of the long period between injection of the steroid drug and the presentation of meningitis symptoms, the numbers of infected patients are expected to continue to grow over coming weeks.
Contact a Houston steroid drug injury attorney if tainted drugs have harmed you
If you or your loved one received a tainted steroid injection for lower back pain and experienced pain, inflammation, stroke, or other side effects and symptoms, you might need to discuss the matter with and experienced Houston steroid drug injury attorney. At Denena & Points, we will meet with you for a free, no obligation, and completely confidential legal consultation.
We could examine whether you or your loved one have a potentially valid legal claim for financial compensation against the manufacturer of the tainted drug. Contact us toll free or online to schedule your free consultation. We take our cases on a contingency fee basis, so there’s no charge for attorneys’ fees unless we win your case for you.