At least 900 patients in Tennessee have been injected with a steroid medication linked to a deadly meningitis outbreak around the country.
The steroid, which is meant to treat back pain, was supplied by a Massachusetts specialty pharmacy called New England Compounding Center (NECC). Its chemical name is preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate.
Tennessee was the first state to diagnose anyone from the meningitis outbreak; and the state still has the most reported cases by far, including multiple deaths. Two Tennessee clinics have administered the drug to at least over 900 patients.
The fungal meningitis is not contagious; and it can be treated with high doses of anti-fungal medication. If you have any questions about recent treatments you’ve received, you should contact your doctor to double-check. If you’ve taken a steroid injection recently and experience symptoms like severe headache, nausea, dizziness and fever, you should go to an emergency room immediately for assistance.
The FDA has also recommended discontinuing use of any of the clinic’s medications, for which they’ve provided a list. To comply, NECC has recalled all products compounded at and/or distributed by their facility in Framingham, Massachusetts. In addition, as of Oct 3, 2012, NECC voluntarily shut down.
A dangerous drugs lawyer Memphis, TN relies on has seen countless injuries caused by unsafe prescription drugs and prescription practices. Call to learn how we can help.
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These large-scale recalls don’t happen very often, but on a small scale our personal injury attorneys in Memphis see this kind of tragedy more than you’d ever care to think. If you or someone you love has been injured by a medication, you should contact an attorney and let him or her investigate your situation. You can contact us today to discuss your case for free.