St. Joseph Mercy hospital treating 6 meningitis cases linked to contaminated steroid
All six confirmed cases of fungal meningitis in Michigan that have been preliminarily linked to a contaminated steroid are being treated at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor.
The hospital is the first facility in the state to link its fungal meningitis cases with a deadly outbreak associated with an injectible steroid manufactured by New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass.
. The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is blamed for causing the recent meningitis outbreak.
Patients received the steroid as a shot for back pain.
Four Michigan facilities received shipments of the steroids, and are working to notify patients:
- Michigan Neurosurgical Institutes in Grand Blanc
- Michigan Pain Specialists in Brighton
- Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation in Traverse City
- Southeast Michigan Surgical Hospital in Warren
The six patients at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor did not receive the injections at the hospital and are all from the community, said Chief Medical Officer Lakshmi Halasyamani.
Halasyamani said doctors had observed a number of unusual meningitis patients in the hospital, and began further investigation after receiving notice two days ago that the contaminated steroids had been sent to Michigan facilities.
The six cases being treated at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor tested positive for the strain of fungal meningitis associated with the outbreak and fit the patient profile: They received epidural steroid injections after July 1 from a facility that receives its steroids from the company in Massachusetts, Halasyamani said.
“We anticipate many other patients will be coming to our institution,” Halasyamani said.
The hospital treats many patients from the Brighton facility and its satellite offices on a regular basis, Halasyamani said.
Halasyamani said the state is likely on the cusp of seeing more hospitals reporting patients ill with the fungal meningitis.
Halasyamani declined to discuss the age range of the six patients or if any of the cases were fatal.
Nationwide, the tally of deaths from the rare fungal meningitis remained at five Friday.
Tennessee's cases now total 29; Virginia has six; Indiana has 3; and there are two each in Maryland and Florida and one in North Carolina.
As a precaution, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urged physicians not to use any of the company's products, and on Friday released a list of them.
All clinicians at the University of Michigan Health System are on alert for patients who could be at risk for the strain of fungal meningitis that fit the profile established by the CDC, said Kara Gavin, public relations representative for the Health System.
The University of Michigan Health System did not carry the company’s steroid, but threw out the rest of the products that it does carry from the company in question, Gavin said.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include severe headache, nausea, dizziness and fever.
The type of fungal meningitis involved is not contagious like the more common forms. It is caused by a fungus that's widespread but very rarely causes illness. It is treated with high-dose antifungal medications, usually given intravenously in a hospital.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments
Ittakesallkinds
Thu, Oct 11, 2012 : 3:52 a.m.
@BhavanaJagat: I am a patient of one of the clinics that received the contaminated steriods. I received three treatments during the time frame indicated. I will not give you my full medicial history, nor can Annarbor.com get or give any patients medical records (HIPPA, hello?), but I will tell you that I have suffered chronic lower and upper back pain for seven years. I'm not yet 50. If not for the clinic and my doctor I would not be able to get out of bed. Steroids are not the first step in managing and reducing your pain. Unless you suffer from chronic pain, I would suggest that you hang onto that investigation into steroid therapy. Pain will suck the life right out of you. You will not be able to work, play, raise your children, participate fully in life. The doctor's at the clinic informed me of the dangers of steroids and every other type of treatments that I've had. Contaminated medicine was not a risk. They are very good at what they do and what happened is not the doctor's fault. Their oath is to first do no harm. Really, you think that they just shoot up any patient who comes in off the street and says "hey, my back hurts." Patients are put through multiple tests, screenings, and non-invasive treatments prior to steroid injections. It is offered as an option for pain management. I for one would rather have a steroid injection and be able to get out of bed in the morning and live a productive, fulfilling life than not. Furthermore, I'd much rather have an injection once a month than to swallow 90 opiates in a month. How many risks are associated with non-contaminated opiates? Check that out and see which treatment is better. This is an unfortunate accident or maybe negligence on the drug manufacturer. Doctor's can't possibly know that they have contaminated medicine in their possession. Don't we have federal regulations for that? They rely on those regulations the same as you do when you pop a Tylenol. Remember that "a
BhavanaJagat
Sun, Oct 7, 2012 : 5:52 p.m.
Therapeutic care of pain : I am glad to read the two responses. Again, the problem has to be understood in the context of pain management. Several people have died and the circumstances will be fully investigated and that investigation will include the principles used in establishing this therapeutic care that required the use of steroids. The problem as I see, is not simply accounted for by affixing the blame upon a Drug manufacturer. I read several stories in the past in which the news media including The Ann Arbor News have revealed that doctors often prescribe medications because of their relationship with the drug manufacturer.
BhavanaJagat
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 6:35 p.m.
CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF PAIN : I am not asking for patients' personal information or medical case history. We may have to know as to what types of medications that were prescribed, the duration, and as to when steroids were introduced to manage the pain. It appears that there is an undue rush to give steroid injections into the spinal canal without trying more conservative measures to control the pain. When we inject any substance into the spinal canal, there is always a risk associated with that procedure.
sHa
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 11:03 p.m.
@BhavanaJagat - What makes you an expert on whether there was "an undue rush to give steroid injections". You have no idea at all about the medical history of each patient, nor should you. Might it possibly be that a steroid injection was the last available recourse?
Angry Moderate
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 7:42 p.m.
A list of the patient's medications is a medical record, and has nothing to do with the fact that they got meningitis from a contaminated steroid. The cause is already known...it's none of your business what other treatments the patients got.
cook1888
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 4:54 p.m.
Steroids are as dangerous, if not more so, than antibiotics. A dangerous remedy.
BhavanaJagat
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 3:39 p.m.
The use of Steroids for pain relief : This unfortunate incidence of several fungal meningitis cases across our country may lead us to direct our attention to the problem of pain relief. While I had served in the Armed Forces of India and Sultanate of Oman, I had frequently encountered the problem of back pain among service personnel. I am totally surprised at the frequent use of steroid injections for pain relief. Six cases of fungal meningitis at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital indicates that there is something wrong in the clinical management of back pain. I do not want the private, confidential information about these victims. But, I have a concern and I would ask AnnArbor.com to investigate the history of pain relief management of these victims and make it public.
Ann English
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 11:42 p.m.
What are you requesting annarbor.com to do, write an article about what causes back pain, and who chooses steroid injections to treat it (no names, but tell us if these shot recipients wake up with aching backs, the names of their back ailments, what they do better as a result of the shots, e.g. jobs or leisure activities)? And then tell readers what such people can do instead of getting steroid injections? We can see from other comment posters that alternatives are being sought.
Angry Moderate
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 3:44 p.m.
I don't think that A2.com is going to give you a copy of the patients' medical records. Sorry.
dading dont delete me bro
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 1:20 a.m.
that doesnt look like meningitis to me... ;-O
dading dont delete me bro
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 4:50 p.m.
looks like a ninja sperm cell to me.
dading dont delete me bro
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 4:49 p.m.
i play one on tv. dr.dading, m.d.
actionjackson
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 1:30 p.m.
That's because it isn't a picture of meningitis. It is a picture of the fungus among us.
Amy Biolchini
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 1:03 p.m.
The image in the story was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the strain of fungal meningitis linked to the contaminated steroid from the Massachusetts company.
Veracity
Sat, Oct 6, 2012 : 12:50 p.m.
Oh, really? ... and what does it look like to you? By the way, I did not catch your medical specialty.