1 The Bridgeton News October 10, 2012

 

No illness in NJ tied to meningitis outbreak 9:00 PM, Oct 5, 2012

 

  This undated photo made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a branch of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. The fungus blamed for causing a meningitis outbreak in five states is widely distributed indoors and outdoors, but only very rarely makes people sick. People inhale aspergillus fungus all the time without any problem. It's nearly impossible to avoid, found in such places as decaying leaves, trees, grain, other plants, soil, household dust, ducts for air conditioning and heating, and building materials. The fungus can also cause skin infections if it enters a break in the skin. The meningitis outbreak is linked to the fungus being accidentally injected into people as a contaminant in steroid treatments. It's not clear how the fungus got into the medicine. (AP Photo/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Libero Ajello) / AP Written by

DAVID PORTER, Associated Press

NEWARK — None of the 1,000 people in New Jersey given a steroid linked to a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis has reported becoming ill, Health Commissioner Mary O’Dowd said Friday. The outbreak has caused five deaths and dozens of illnesses in at least seven other states. Investigators have focused on a steroid medication made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts. All the outbreak patients had gotten shots of the steroid for back pain. In New Jersey, patients were given the epidural steroid injection at six facilities: Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center in Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence in Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates in Vineland; South Jersey Healthcare in Elmer and Vineland, and Comprehensive Pain Management of Sparta.

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The Asbury Park Press                                                                                                                                       October 5, 2012 

 

Dr. Richard Siegfried, who runs Comprehensive Pain Management, estimated Friday that he had been using New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., the source of the steroid medication, for about six months. He said the current outbreak was particularly troubling because it involves an unusual form of meningitis that is affecting people with healthy immune systems. Meningitis more commonly is associated with people with compromised immune systems, such as AIDS sufferers or cancer patients. Siegfried said he and other doctors he spoke to were “shocked” by the outbreak. He said he has been in touch with the five patients who were given the injection at his office and none has reported symptoms. “We’re dealing with an animal that we’re really not familiar with,” he said. “Right now I’ve got things on hold. I’m not sure what direction to go in right now. I’m hoping for guidance from the CDC in regard to that. This has basically affected pain management nationwide, if not worldwide.” Siegfried said he and other doctors use the products from compounding pharmacies even though they usually are more expensive because they are preservative-free. “So believe it or not, it’s for patients’ safety because there’s no truly preservative-free alternative available commercially,” he said.  

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The Asbury Park Press                                                                                                                                       October 5, 2012 

     

Latest News 2 South Jersey Locations Linked To Meningitis Outbreak Investigation October 5, 2012 5:21 PM

By Michelle Durham

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) – New Jersey’s Health Commissioner has identified the six healthcare facilities that dispensed medication that has been associated with a deadly outbreak of non contagious fungal meningitis. Two of them are located in South Jersey. Commissioner Mary O’Dowd has identified Premier Orthopedic Surgical Associates in Vineland and South Jersey Healthcare in Vineland and Elmer as the two South Jersey healthcare organizations that received the tainted medicine. “We are contacting every patient to let them know what happened and [we are] going over any signs or symptoms that would represent a potential problem that we would want them to come get evaluated for,” says chief medical officer of South Jersey Healthcare Dr. Steven Linn. Those symptoms include a, “headache, especially a worsening headache, fever, focal neurologic symptoms, something like facial pain, weakness somewhere, slurred speech, other types of changes in your neurologic system. [If you have these] you need to be evaluated by your Doctor,” Dr. Linn explains. Dr. Linn says it’s important that patients contact the healthcare organization where they received the medication, because even though thousands of patients receive epidural injections for neck or back pain there are only three batches of medication from one company that have been identified as a problem. South Jersey Healthcare has notified their ER staff and set up a special hotline for their patients. For the latest information on the meningitis investigation, visit www.cdc.gov.  

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CBS3 Philly                                                                                                                                                          October 5, 2012 

 

Sparta health facility dispensed medication tied to meningitis scare 1:09 PM, Oct 5, 2012

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey officials have identified the six health care facilities that dispensed medication that has been associated with a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis. Health Commissioner Mary O’Dowd says no cases have been uncovered in New Jersey. The outbreak has caused five deaths nationwide. O’Dowd says the epidural steroid injections were administered at Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center in Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence in Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates in Vineland; South Jersey Healthcare in Elmer and Vineland, and Comprehensive Pain Management of Sparta. Those facilities are contacting patients who received the injections. O’Dowd says anyone who received an injection and hasn’t been contacted should call the facility. Meningitis symptoms include fever, worsening headache, nausea and new neurological deficit consistent with deep brain stroke.  

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The Daily Record                                                                                                                                                 October 5, 2012 

 

300 here received tainted injections Deadly meningitis has killed 5 people 2 facilities warned after meningitis scare 11:55 PM, Oct. 5, 2012

  Steve Linn, South Jersey Healthcare Chief Medical Officer, talks about the meningitis threat at a press conference at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center. / Staff photo/Craig Matthews

Written by

Stephanie Loder

VINELAND — More than 300 patients at two health facilities received doses of a drug that has been associated with a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis, health officials said Friday. South Jersey Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center in this city and Elmer Hospital, and Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates, LLC, Vineland, were identified during a multistate investigation of fungal meningitis among patients who received methylprednisolone acetate injections, according to a statement from the state Department of Health. About 1,000 people have been injected in New Jersey, but there have been no cases of meningitis reported in the state, according to state Health Commissioner Mary O’Dowd. The outbreak has caused five deaths and dozens of illnesses nationwide.

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                                October 5, 2012 

 

 

New Jersey News   

New Jersey health facilities identified in meningitis scare Friday, October 05, 2012 

Eyewitness News TRENTON, N.J. (WABC) -- New Jersey officials have identified the six health care facilities that dispensed medication that has been associated with a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis. It became apparent Thursday that hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of people who got the shots between July and September could be at risk after officials revealed that a tainted steroid suspected to have caused a meningitis outbreak in the South had made its way to 75 clinics in 23 states. The Food and Drug Administration urged physicians not to use any products at all from the Massachusetts pharmacy that supplied the preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate. New Jersey Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd says no cases have been uncovered in New Jersey. The outbreak has caused five deaths nationwide. O'Dowd says the epidural steroid injections were administered at Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center in Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence in Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates in Vineland; South Jersey Healthcare in Elmer and Vineland, and Richard Siegfried of Sparta. Those facilities are contacting patients who received the injections. O'Dowd says anyone who received an injection and hasn't been contacted should call the facility. Meningitis symptoms include fever, worsening headache, nausea and new neurological deficit consistent with deep brain stroke. So far, 47 people in seven states - Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina and Indiana - have contracted fungal meningitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All had received steroid shots for back pain, a highly common treatment. It is not clear how many patients received tainted injections, or even whether everyone who got one will get sick. The time from infection to onset of symptoms is anywhere from a few days to a month, so the number of people stricken could rise.

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Eyewitness News 7                                                                                                                                              October 5 , 2012 

 

Local patients who received injections are being asked to call a medical center hotline and schedule a time to come in to a clinic for evaluation, health officials said. At Premier Orthopedics, Dr. Thomas A. Dwyer, a board certified orthopaedic surgeon and chairman for the department of surgery at SJH, said 212 patients received the injections between July 30 and Sept. 25. At South Jersey Healthcare, 37 patients received injections at the medical center on Sherman Avenue and 33 patients got the same treatment at Elmer between July 30 and Sept. 25, according to Steven Linn, South Jersey Healthcare’s Chief Medical Officer. There were 54 more patients at the Regional Medical Center who received a different type of injection — called a facet injection — from the same compound as the recalled batch, Linn said. All patients at Premier and South Jersey Healthcare have been contacted by telephone, officials said Friday. Messages were left for anyone who didn’t answer their telephone and the center staff followed up with certified letters to patients they couldn’t reach by telephone, officials said. Authorities stressed the medication was tainted before it was delivered to health facilities. The facilities would have had no way to know there were problems with the injections prior to being administered

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                                October 5, 2012 

 

 

Patients at 2 local health facilities warned after meningitis scare 12:41 PM, Oct. 5, 2012

Stephanie Loder

VINELAND — A nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak has lead health investigators to two hospitals and an orthopedic practice here where patients may have received epidural steroid injections that have now been recalled, according to a statement issued today by the state Department of Health. South Jersey Healthcare in this city and Elmer, and Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates, LLC, Vineland, were identified during a multi-state investigation of fungal meningitis among patients who received epidural steroid injections, accoriding to a statement from the state DOH. The three facilities are among health providers nationwide who have been scrambling to notify patients in nearly two-dozen states that steroid shots they got for back pain may have been contaminated with a fungus tied to a deadly meningitis outbreak. It became apparent Thursday that hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of people who got the shots between july and september could be at risk. Officials disclosed that a steroid suspected in the fungal meningitis outbreak in the south had made its way to 75 clinics in 23 states. The Food and Drug Administration urged physicians not to use any products at all from the Massachusetts specialty pharmacy that supplied the steroid. Facilities either have, or are in the process of reaching out to, all of their patients. Persons who received an epidural injection at any of the above listed sites who have not been contacted should call the facility, according to the statement. The facility should be able to confirm whether patients received an injection from the affected batches of medication The DOH has been in contact with all facilities that received the affected product and requested that they reach out to all patients who received injections of methylprednisolone actetate.

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                                October 5, 2012 

 

Patients who are experiencing any symptoms should contact their health care provider who performed the procedure or be referred for medical evaluation. Symptoms associated with the outbreak include fever, new or worsening headache, nausea and new neurological deficit consistent with deep brain stroke. Several patients have also suffered strokes. however, some of the patients’' symptoms were very mild. affected patients have presented approximately one to four weeks following their injection.  

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                                October 5, 2012 

 

The pharmacy involved, the New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass., has recalled three lots consisting of a total of 17,676 single-dose vials of the steroid, preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate, Massachusetts health officials said. Investigators this week found contamination in a sealed vial of the steroid at the company, FDA officials said. Tests are under way to determine if it is the same fungus blamed in the outbreak. --LIST OF IMPACTED FACILITIES IN NEW JERSEY Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield Edison Surgical Center, Edison IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, Teaneck Premier Orthopedics Surgical Assoc, LLC, Vineland Richard Siegfried, MD, Sparta South Jersey Healthcare, Elmer and Vineland Additional information about the outbreak is available on the CDC's website at http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/outbreaks/meningitis.html  

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Eyewitness News 7                                                                                                                                              October 5 , 2012 

 

Sparta Doc Received Medication Linked to Deadly Meningitis Outbreak Officials say 35 cases, including five deaths, reported in six states. No cases reported in New Jersey, according to state health commissioner. By Noah Cohen Email the author October 5, 2012 A Sparta pain management doctor received medication linked to a deadly multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis, officials said Friday. Dr. Richard Siegfried's office at 540 Lafayette Road was one of six facilities in New Jersey that received the possibly-contaminated epidural steroid injections, according to the state Department of Health. A call to Siegfried's office Friday afternoon was not immediately returned. About 1,000 New Jersey residents were injected with the medication, northjersey.com reported. "New Jersey currently has no cases associated with this outbreak, but this is an ongoing investigation and the full scope of the affected patients and facilities is not yet known," Health Commissioner Mary E. O'Dowd said in a statement. "Health care facilities that received this medication have removed the product from inventory and are working to identify and notify all patients who might have received injections from the implicated lots." "As the investigation continues, the number of affected patients and facilities could expand so any patient who has received an epidural steroid injection who has symptoms should reach out to their health care provider," O'Dowd said. The full list of facilities released by the state is below: •

Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield

•

Edison Surgical Center, Edison

•

IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, Teaneck

•

Premier Orthopedics Surgical Assoc, LLC, Vineland

•

Richard Siegfried, MD, Sparta

•

South Jersey Healthcare, Elmer and Vineland

“Facilities have or are in the process of reaching out to all of their patients. Persons who received an epidural injection at any of the above listed sites who have not been contacted should call the facility. The facility should be able to confirm whether patients received an injection from the affected batches of medication. Patients who are experiencing any symptoms should contact their health care provider who performed the procedure or be referred for medical evaluation,” according to the health department statement.

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  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 35 cases, including five deaths, have been reported across six states. Symptoms can include fever, headache nausea and stiffness of the neck, according to the CDC. More information is available on the Center’s website. Health officials said the form of meningitis is not contagious and the source of the outbreak has not been determined. "At this point, there is not enough evidence to determine the original source of the outbreak, however there is a link to an injectable steroid medication. The lots of medication that were given to patients have been recalled by the manufacturer," the CDC reported

               

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N.J. officials name medical practices that received steroids linked to meningitis outbreak Published: Friday, October 05, 2012, 12:24 PM

Updated: Saturday, October 06, 2012, 7:18 PM

By Susan K. Livio/Statehouse Bureau

TRENTON — State health officials today disclosed the names of the six medical practices that received potentially-tainted steroid injections connected to a fungal meningitis outbreak in six states that has claimed five lives. “New Jersey currently has no cases associated with this outbreak, but this is an ongoing investigation and the full scope of the affected patients and facilities is not yet known,” Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd said in a prepared statement today. “Health care facilities that received this medication have removed the product from inventory and are working to identify and notify all patients who might have received injections from the implicated lots." The facilities are: • • • • • •

Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center, Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates, Vineland; Comprehensive Pain Management, Sparta South Jersey Healthcare, Elmer and Vineland

O'Dowd has instructed the medical practices to contact patients that received injections of methylprednisolone actetate, a pain and inflammation-relieving steroid. But patients at these practices who have not been contacted should call the office themselves. “As the investigation continues, the number of affected patients and facilities could expand so any patient who has received an epidural steroid injection who has symptoms should reach out to their health care provider,” O'Dowd added. On September 25, 2012, the New England Compounding Center voluntarily recalled the following lots of methylprednisolone acetate (PF) 80mg/ml: (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #05212012@68, BUD 11/17/2012 Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #06292012@26, BUD 12/26/2012. Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #08102012@51, BUD. On Wednesday, the center ceased all production and initiated recall of all methylprednisolone acetate. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said there are 35 cases, including five deaths, that have been reported in six states. The disease is not contagious. Affected patients reported symptoms one to four weeks following the injection that include fever, headaches, nausea, and "new neurological deficits consistent with deep brain stroke," according to O'Dowd's statement.

 

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The Star Ledger                                                                                                                                                   October 5, 2012 

     

No N.J. patients injected with steroid linked to meningitis are believed to be infected Published: Saturday, October 06, 2012, 7:30 AM

Updated: Saturday, October 06, 2012, 7:33 PM

By Susan K. Livio/Statehouse Bureau TRENTON — The state health commissioner said Friday about a thousand patients treated at six medical facilities in New Jersey were injected with a steroid linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak that has left five people dead nationwide. While the commissioner, Mary O'Dowd, said none is among 47 people known to be infected, her staff instructed the six hospitals, surgery centers and doctor’s offices to notify the injected patients and to urge them to watch for symptoms’. The symptoms include include headache, fever, a stiff neck, and lethargy or delirium, according to Ted Louie, an infectious disease specialist and clinical associate professor at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. The steroid, which was dispensed in 23 states, was recalled nearly two weeks ago by the New England Compounding Center, a pharmaceutical manufacturer and supplier in Framingham, Mass. The facilities that injected the steroids in question were identified by the state as: Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center, Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates, Vineland; South Jersey Healthcare, in Elmer and Vineland; and Comprehensive Pain Management, Sparta. Steroid injections are commonly used to reduce back pain and inflammation. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fungal meningitis is not contagious, and Louie described it as "extremely rare." Typically, patients must have compromised immune systems, such as those who receive transplants, and the illness must be introduced into the body through a shunt, a catheter, or prosthetic device. Louie said it is possible to be exposed to a small amount of fungal meningitis and not become seriously ill if the person has a strong immune system. South Jersey Healthcare, which includes SJH Elmer Hospital and SJH Regional Medical Center in Vineland, has set up a hotline (856) 641-6010 for patients. STAY CONNECTED 24/7 Download our free NJ.com mobile and tablet apps to keep up with the latest New Jersey news, sports and entertainment.

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The Star Ledger                                                                                                                                                   October 5, 2012 

 

Greg Potter, a spokesman for South Jersey Healthcare, said a clinic at the Vineland facility was to be open today and Sunday for patients who received the steroids from July 30 to Sept. 25 and wanted to be evaluated. "As of noon today, we have made calls to every patient who received the injections," Potter said Friday. Richard Siegfried, a doctor who operates Comprehensive Pain Management in Sparta, said he had notified five patients who had received an epidural steroid injection. Siegfried said he used the compounding products — even though they are frequently more expensive than generic products approved by the Food and Drug Association — because they are free of preservatives. Calls made to the other medical practices went unreturned. The outbreak has sickened people in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina Tennessee and Virginia, according to the CDC. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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The Star Ledger                                                                                                                                                   October 5, 2012 

 

Deadly meningitis outbreak scare reaches New Jersey; two Lehigh Valley health networks say they didn't use the drug Published: Friday, October 05, 2012, 6:04 PM

Updated: Friday, October 05, 2012, 9:36 PM

By Express-Times staff and wire

A deadly meningitis outbreak rose to 47 cases in seven states today -- in addition to a scare in New Jersey -- as clinics scrambled to notify patients across the country that the shots they got for back pain may have been contaminated with a fungus. Both St. Luke's University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network have released statements saying their patients should not be affected by the recent outbreak. The steroid injection linked to the outbreak is produced by a different manufacturer than St. Luke's uses, network spokeswoman Denise Rader said today. Typically used to manage back pain, the drug used at St. Luke's hospitals and doctors' offices is purchased from Pfizer, Rader said. Lehigh Valley Health Network doesn't use this drug in its pain centers, pharmacy administrator Robert Begliomini said in a video on the network's website. The network does not purchase any drugs from the Massachusetts-based manufacturer, he said.

Six New Jersey spots ID'd New Jersey officials said about 1,000 people were injected with a drug that has been associated with a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis. Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd said no illnesses from the drug have been uncovered in New Jersey. O'Dowd said the epidural steroid injections were administered at Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center in Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence in Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates in Vineland; South Jersey Healthcare in Elmer and Vineland, and Comprehensive Pain Management of Sparta. Those facilities are contacting patients. O'Dowd said anyone who had an injection and hasn't been contacted should call the facility.

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Lehighvalleylive.com                                                                                                                                     October 5, 2012 

 

Five deaths counted The tally of deaths from the rare fungal meningitis remained at five. But a seventh state, Michigan, was added to the list with four cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today. Tennessee's cases now total 29. There have been six cases in Virginia, three in Indiana; two each in Maryland and Florida, and one in North Carolina. Looking for a source of the outbreak, investigators have focused on a steroid custom-made by a specialty pharmacy, New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. Health inspectors found fungus in at least one sealed vial of the steroid at the company's facility this week. The pharmacy recalled 17,676 single-dose vials of the steroid, methylprednisolone acetate. Shipments went to clinics in 23 states. As a precaution, the Food and Drug Administration urged physicians not to use any of the company's products, and today released a list of them. The first known case in the meningitis outbreak was diagnosed about two weeks ago in Tennessee. Three of the five deaths are in Tennessee; the others in Virginia and Maryland. 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.

 

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Lehighvalleylive.com                                                                                                                                     October 5, 2012 

 

NJ health facilities identified in meningitis scare Posted: Oct 05, 2012 12:24 PM EDT Updated: Oct 05, 2012 5:20 PM EDT

Read more: http://www.myfoxny.com/story/19746817/nj-heatlh-facilities-identified-in-meningitis-scare#ixzz28imxFnUW

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey officials have identified the six health care facilities that dispensed medication that has been associated with a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis. Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd says no cases have been uncovered in New Jersey. The outbreak has caused five deaths nationwide. O'Dowd says the epidural steroid injections were administered at Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center in Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence in Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates in Vineland; South Jersey Healthcare in Elmer and Vineland, and Richard Siegfried of Sparta. Those facilities are contacting patients who received the injections. O'Dowd says anyone who received an injection and hasn't been contacted should call the facility. Meningitis symptoms include fever, worsening headache, nausea and new neurological deficit consistent with deep brain stroke.

 

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MyFoxynew.com                                                                                                                                                October 5, 2012 

 

NJ Names Facilities in Meningitis Scare Patients who received steroid injections at six N.J. facilities are being contacted about the risk of contracting fungal meningitis. Friday, Oct 5, 2012 | Updated 5:28 PM EDT

New Jersey officials have identified the six health care facilities that dispensed medication that has been associated with a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis. •

Top 20 Questions About Meningitis Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd says no cases have been uncovered in New Jersey. The outbreak has caused five deaths nationwide. O'Dowd says the epidural steroid injections were administered at Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center in Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence in Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates in Vineland; South Jersey Healthcare in Elmer and Vineland, and Richard Siegfried of Sparta. Those facilities are contacting patients who received the injections. O'Dowd says anyone who received an injection and hasn't been contacted should call the facility. All six facilities were determined to have administered doses from lots that were recalled last week by a Framingham, Mass., pharmacy that custom-mixes medicines. Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates told NBC10 more than 200 of its patients have received possibly contaminated injections. Doctors there said when they were contacted by the CDC in September, they immediately pulled the steroid.

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NBC10 Philadelphia                                                                                                                                        October 5, 2012 

 

Friday, doctors were inviting patients to the clinic for more information. "We've established an action plan that first includes identifying those patients which may be potentially at risk and then we've set up a clinic starting today at 4 p.m. for patients to be evaluated by infectious disease experts," said Dr. Thomas Dwyer. •

Read Full Health Advisory from CDC The Food and Drug Administration warned doctors not to use any products from the pharmacy, the New England Compounding Center, after tests found contamination in a sealed vial of steroid. Tests were under way to determine if it is the same fungus blamed in the outbreak reported to have sickened at least 35 people in six states, leaving five dead. All received steroid shots for back pain. Fungal meningitis, which unlike common forms of meningitis is not contagious, is treated with high-dose antifungal medications, usually given intravenously in a hospital. Pennsylvania health officials say two pain clinics dispensed steroid shots linked to the outbreak. The clinics are Allegheny Pain Management in Altoona and South Hills Pain and Rehab Associates, a clinic with locations in several Pittsburgh suburbs. Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include severe and worsening headache, nausea, dizziness and fever. Some of the patients also experienced slurred speech, and difficulty walking and urinating, according to health officials in Tennessee, where the most cases have been reported. The time from infection to onset of symptoms is estimated at anywhere from a few days to a month, so some people may not have fallen ill yet, health officials said.  

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NBC10 Philadelphia                                                                                                                                        October 5, 2012 

 

South Jersey doctor speaks about meningitis outbreak Posted 10/5/12 10:37 pm by Ryan Ross ( [email protected] )

VINELAND- A strand of meningitis that has killed five people across the country has been linked to an epidural steroid injection. The injection has been pulled off the market by the Center for Disease Control but not before it was given to hundreds of South Jersey patients. Premier Orthopaedic Associates in Vineland had been giving the treatment to patients. Once the center received word of the meningitis link, Dr. Thomas Dwyer and staff began the process of contacting every patient that received the shot from July to September. "We contacted every single patient, we had our staff on it," said Dr. Dwyer. "All 212 patients, and we reviewed the criteria which are low grade fever, feeling of malaise, focal neurological deficits, to see if any of our patients that received injection therapy were experiencing any of those symptoms." In total, 35 cases have been found in six different states. There have been no confirmed cases in New Jersey thus far. At Premier Orthopaedics, Dr. Dwyer encountered no serious problems. "It is important to note, prior to our contacting them, no one had contacted us with any issues. So these complaints were only arrived at through our contacting them," said Dr. Dwyer. The treatment in question was also issued at the nearby South Jersey Regional Medical Center. Of the 212 patients that received the injection at Premier Orthopaedics, only a handful reported symptoms to Dr. Dwyer. "Approximately 30 people had one or more symptom. Out of the 30, six or seven individuals had symptoms possibly suspicious for meningitis. Those six or seven people have been referred to a clinic at the hospital," said Dr. Dwyer. 

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NBC40.Net                                                                                                                                                             October 5, 2012 

         

South Jersey doctor speaks about meningitis outbreak Posted 10/5/12 10:37 pm by Ryan Ross ( [email protected] )

VINELAND- A strand of meningitis that has killed five people across the country has been linked to an epidural steroid injection. The injection has been pulled off the market by the Center for Disease Control but not before it was given to hundreds of South Jersey patients. Premier Orthopaedic Associates in Vineland had been giving the treatment to patients. Once the center received word of the meningitis link, Dr. Thomas Dwyer and staff began the process of contacting every patient that received the shot from July to September. "We contacted every single patient, we had our staff on it," said Dr. Dwyer. "All 212 patients, and we reviewed the criteria which are low grade fever, feeling of malaise, focal neurological deficits, to see if any of our patients that received injection therapy were experiencing any of those symptoms." In total, 35 cases have been found in six different states. There have been no confirmed cases in New Jersey thus far. At Premier Orthopaedics, Dr. Dwyer encountered no serious problems. "It is important to note, prior to our contacting them, no one had contacted us with any issues. So these complaints were only arrived at through our contacting them," said Dr. Dwyer. The treatment in question was also issued at the nearby South Jersey Regional Medical Center. Of the 212 patients that received the injection at Premier Orthopaedics, only a handful reported symptoms to Dr. Dwyer. "Approximately 30 people had one or more symptom. Out of the 30, six or seven individuals had symptoms possibly suspicious for meningitis. Those six or seven people have been referred to a clinic at the hospital," said Dr. Dwyer. Any people that have received the injection are encouraged to keep a close eye on their symptoms. 

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NBC40.Net                                                                                                                                                      October 5, 2012 

New Jersey Herald - NJ IDs health facilities in meningitis scare, including one in S

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/> Fungal Meningitis signs and symptoms may include the following:

Fever Headache Stiff neck Nausea and vomiting Photophobia (sensitivity to light) Altered mental status

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC, the New England Compounding Center (NECC) of Framingham, Massachusetts recalled three lots or over 17,000 vials of the epidural steroid injection. The recall occurred September of this year, after the FDA found fungus located in a vial at the plant. 15 people have died as of this date, while several patients suffered strokes resulting from the meningitis. So far, no deaths have been reported in New Jersey.

The contaminated steroid injections that are believed to be the cause of this recent outbreak contain a drug known as Methylprednisolone Acetate, a preservative-free drug given to older adults in order to ease back pain. Shots were administered between the dates of May 21 and September 26, 2012, which is when the Massachusetts based company recalled the injections.

The steroid was distributed to 75 facilities across 23 states between the months of July to September. The outbreak has now spread to at least 14 states, including Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas & Virginia.

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Realtime News – News Blaze                                                                                                                          October 15, 2012 

  Clinics in New Jersey that performed injections with these drugs are IF Pain Associates in Teaneck, Edison Surgical Center in Edison, South Jersey Health Care in Elmer, Comprehensive Pain Management in Sparta, Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield, and Vineland's Premiere Orthopedics Surgical Association and South Jersey Health Care. The CDC has a full list of all the injection clinics in other states.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the brain and spinal cord's lining. According to CDC reports, individuals who have received a steroid injection between May 21 to September 26 of this year should immediately seek medical attention if they experience fungal meningitis symptoms such as fever, severe headaches, nausea, numbness, speech problems, stiff neck, or changes to skin or tissue surrounding the site of injection. These symptoms may occur one to four weeks after the injection, and cannot be transmitted from person to person.

Potential fungal meningitis induced by tainted epidural injection claims are being investigated by The Grossman Law Firm, LLC in both New Jersey and nationwide. It appears that the company responsible for the tainted medicine in the epidural injections may have failed to protect the public resulting in the loss of life and suffering of innocent victims who did nothing more than seek relief for their back or neck pain. Due to these facts, financial compensation may be available for those diagnosed with meningitis following their epidural injection.

Scott Grossman, founder of The Grossman Law Firm LLC. is here for the victims of the outbreak to provide legal advice and guidance. Family members who have lost a loved one due to fungal meningitis may also be eligible to file a wrongful death claim for their loss.

The Grossman Law Firm, LLC, is a personal injury law firm that represents individuals on a contingency basis. There are no legal fees unless a recovery is obtained. For a free and confidential consultation, call (877) 9965529 or contact us by email at [email protected]

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Realtime News – News Blaze                                                                                                                          October 15, 2012 

 

Contact Information: The Grossman Law Firm, LLC Scott Grossman 732-625-9494 Contact via Email http://www.epidural-meningitis.com  

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Realtime News – News Blaze                                                                                                                          October 15, 2012 

 

 

Pa. reports first meningitis case, from Altoona By Don Sapatkin INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

  Pennsylvania on Monday reported its first case of fungal meningitis in the national outbreak, a patient who received an epidural injection of steroid at a clinic in Altoona and is now hospitalized. Fifteen people have died and 205 have been sickened in 14 states, not counting Pennsylvania, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Sunday. Eight illnesses in South Jersey have been linked to injections given at Premier Orthopaedic Associates and South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, both in Vineland. No other cases have been reported from the only other location in the Philadelphia region to have received shipments of the recalled medication, South Jersey Healthcare Elmer Hospital. The Pennsylvania Health Department said the patient had received an injection in July at Allegheny Pain Management in Altoona. No other information was available. The illness was identified as part an ongoing review and followup of patients who received shots from the three lots of contaminated medication that were recalled Sept. 26 by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. Only one other clinic in Pennsylvania, the South Hills Pain Clinic in Allegheny County, received shipments of the medication, federal authorities said, and no cases have yet been linked to its locations. Four clinics in northern New Jersey also received the medication; no cases have been reported there, either.

Contact Don Sapatkin at 215-854-2617 or [email protected].

 

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Philly.com/Health                                                                                                                                                October 15, 2012 

Top Stories

 

2 South Jersey residents who got tainted steroid injection file lawsuits By The News of Cumberland County on October 16, 2012 at 6:30 PM

BRIDGETON — Two Cumberland County residents who received steroid injections to relieve chronic pain are asserting in separate complaints filed today that a Massachusetts-based pharmacy is responsible for exposing them to potentially deadly fungal meningitis. According to their attorney, the two residents filling suits do not currently have fungal meningitis. Attorney Michael Barrett, of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, P.C., filed the lawsuits on behalf of Jennifer Marko, 45, of Millville, and Brian Pennington, 45, of Vineland, in which each alleges that the New England Compounding Center (NECC) pharmacy produced the fungus-laced drug by failing to follow long established, standard safety practices for a compounding pharmacy. Fungal meningitis is not contagious, according to the CDC. According to reports, the New England Compounding Center has previously been investigated for contaminated injections. In 2007, the company settled a lawsuit that claimed that an 83-year-old man died in 2004 after contracting fatal bacterial meningitis from an injection produced and prepared in its Framingham facility. The case was settled prior to going to trial. Nationally, more than 230 cases of fungal meningitis linked to the injections have been confirmed and 15 people have died.

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 16, 2012 

 

More fungal meningitis in N.J. coverage:

• First meningitis case in Gloucester County linked to tainted injections • Eight cases of fungal meningitis total in N.J. • Two new cases of meningitis linked to injections in N.J. • Second Cumberland County resident diagnosed with fungal meningitis • Cumberland County man sees first fungal meningitis diagnosis linked to tainted steroid injection

Locally, six Cumberland County residents have been diagnosed, two from Salem County, and one each from Gloucester and Atlantic counties. All patients have received treatment at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center. One of the ten patients was treated at an outpatient level and was not admitted to the hospital after an evaluation. The patient did meet the criteria and was determined to be a "probable case." The patient is being treated from home, SJH officials said Tuesday. Marko received her injection on Sept. 19, at Premier Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Associates of Southern New Jersey, LLC, while Pennington’s injection was given at the same medical practice on Sept. 10, according to the complaints. “Like thousands of others, Ms. Marko and Mr. Pennington relied upon NECC. Now, they are both experiencing post-injection symptoms and are fearful of contracting fungal meningitis. They fear for their lives,” Barrett said. The steroid compound produced by NECC is methylprednisolone acetate, often used to treat chronic back or joint pain. It was tainted with a common fungus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The drug was widely prescribed for patients suffering back or joint pain, particularly in knees and shoulders. The rare but not contagious form of fungal meningitis (unlike bacterial meningitis) is inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. In all, 634 New Jersey patients received the tainted steroids from May 21 to Sept. 26 from the following facilities:

2   

The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 16, 2012 

 

• Center Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield. • Edison Surgical Center, in Edison. • IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, in Teaneck. • Premier Orthopaedic Associates, in Vineland. • Comprehensive Pain Management, in Sparta. • Elmer Hospital, South Jersey Healthcare, in Elmer. • South Jersey Regional Medical Center, South Jersey Healthcare, in Vineland.

 

3   

The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 16, 2012 

 

Gloucester County, Cumberland County residents diagnosed with fungal meningitis By Spencer Kent/South Jersey Times on October 16, 2012 at 4:15 PM, updated October 17, 2012 at 2:29 AM

VINELAND — Two more South Jersey patients have been diagnosed with fungal meningitis, South Jersey Healthcare officials confirmed Tuesday, bringing the total number of New Jersey cases to 10. The new cases are a 26-year-old Gloucester County woman and a 50-year-old Cumberland County man, according to SJH spokesman Greg Potter.

South Jersey Healthcare's Regional Medical Center in Vineland

This is the first diagnosis of fungal meningitis in Gloucester County. Both patients are stable and receiving treatment at SJH Regional Medical Center, Potter said. "I can't say too much,” Potter said Tuesday afternoon. “The patients are at the Regional Medical Center and they are recovering. We are monitoring them and providing them as much care as possible.” Six Cumberland County residents have been diagnosed, two from Salem County, and one each from Gloucester and Atlantic counties. All patients have received treatment at Regional Medical Center. “One of the ten patients was treated at an outpatient level," Potter said. ”The patient was not admitted to the hospital after an evaluation. However, the patient did meet the criteria and was determined to

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South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                            October 16, 2012 

 

be a probable case. The patient is being treated from home." The cases are linked to a tainted batch of steroid injections that were recently recalled by the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts, which is now closed. Nationally, more than 230 cases have been confirmed and 15 people have died. Fungal meningitis is not contagious, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In all, 634 New Jersey patients received the tainted steroids from May 21 to Sept. 26 from the following facilities: • Center Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield. • Edison Surgical Center, in Edison. • IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, in Teaneck. • Premier Orthopaedic Associates, in Vineland. • Comprehensive Pain Management, in Sparta. • Elmer Hospital, South Jersey Healthcare, in Elmer. • South Jersey Regional Medical Center, South Jersey Healthcare, in Vineland. South Jersey Healthcare Home Health nurses have partnered with the Cumberland and Salem County Health departments to make home visits to affected patients whom they were unable to reach by phone. The region includes a large population of migrant workers. “Our health care system to dedicated to assisting patients who feel they may have signs or symptoms,” Potter said. “We encourage them to reach out and seek care. We are here to help." Fungal meningitis coverage:

• Two new cases of meningitis linked to injections in N.J. • Second Cumberland County resident diagnosed with fungal meningitis

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South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                            October 16, 2012 

 

• Cumberland County man sees first fungal meningitis diagnosis linked to tainted steroid injection --Contact Spencer Kent at 856-451-1000 or at [email protected]. 

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South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                            October 16, 2012 

South Jersey residents who got tainted steroid injection file lawsuits | Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett &... Page 1 of 2

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South Jersey residents who got tainted steroid injection file lawsuits The News of Cumberland County October 16, 2012

Two Cumberland County residents who received steroid injections to relieve chronic pain are asserting in separate complaints filed today that a Massachusetts-based pharmacy is responsible for exposing them to potentially deadly fungal meningitis. According to their attorney, the two residents filling suits do not currently have fungal meningitis.

Attorney Michael Barrett, of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, P.C., filed the lawsuits on behalf of Jennifer Marko, 45, of Millville, and Brian Pennington, 45, of Vineland, in which each alleges that the New England Compounding Center (NECC) pharmacy produced the fungus-laced drug by failing to follow long established, standard safety practices for a compounding pharmacy.

Fungal meningitis is not contagious, according to the CDC.

According to reports, the New England Compounding Center has previously been investigated for contaminated injections. In 2007, the company settled a lawsuit that claimed that an 83-year-old man died in 2004 after contracting fatal bacterial meningitis from an injection produced and prepared in its Framingham facility. The case was settled prior to going to trial.

Nationally, more than 230 cases of fungal meningitis linked to the injections have been confirmed and 15 people have died.

Locally, six Cumberland County residents have been diagnosed, two from Salem County, and one each from Gloucester and Atlantic counties. All patients have received treatment at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center.

One of the ten patients was treated at an outpatient level and was not admitted to the hospital after an evaluation. The patient did meet the criteria and was determined to be a "probable case." The patient is being treated from home, SJH officials said Tuesday.

Marko received her injection on Sept. 19, at Premier Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Associates of Southern New Jersey, LLC, while Pennington's injection was given at the same medical practice on Sept. 10, according to the complaints.

"Like thousands of others, Ms. Marko and Mr. Pennington relied upon NECC. Now, they are both experiencing post-injection symptoms and are fearful of contracting fungal meningitis. They fear for their lives," Barrett said.

The steroid compound produced by NECC is methylprednisolone acetate, often used to treat chronic back or joint pain. It was tainted with a common fungus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The drug was widely prescribed for patients suffering back or joint pain, particularly in knees and shoulders. The rare but not contagious form of fungal meningitis (unlike bacterial meningitis) is inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

In all, 634 New Jersey patients received the tainted steroids from May 21 to Sept. 26 from the following facilities:

• Center Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield.• Edison Surgical Center, in Edison.• IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, in Teaneck.• Premier Orthopaedic Associates, in Vineland.• Comprehensive Pain Management, in Sparta.• Elmer Hospital, South Jersey Healthcare, in Elmer.• South Jersey Regional Medical Center, South Jersey Healthcare, in Vineland.

[From staff and wire reports]

http://www.smbb.com/media-center/news/south-jersey-residents-who-got-tainted-steroid-injectio... 10/22/2012

Top Stories

 

Gloucester County, Cumberland County residents diagnosed with fungal meningitis By Spencer Kent/South Jersey Times on October 16, 2012 at 4:15 PM, updated October 17, 2012 at 2:29 AM

VINELAND — Two more South Jersey patients have been diagnosed with fungal meningitis, South Jersey Healthcare officials confirmed Tuesday, bringing the total number of New Jersey cases to 10. The new cases are a 26-year-old Gloucester County woman and a 50-year-old Cumberland County man, according to SJH spokesman Greg Potter. This is the first diagnosis of fungal meningitis in Gloucester County. South Jersey Healthcare's Regional Medical Center in Vineland.

Both patients are stable and receiving treatment at SJH Regional Medical Center, Potter said.

"I can't say too much,” Potter said Tuesday afternoon. “The patients are at the Regional Medical Center and they are recovering. We are monitoring them and providing them as much care as possible.” Six Cumberland County residents have been diagnosed, two from Salem County, and one each from Gloucester and Atlantic counties. All patients have received treatment at Regional Medical Center. “One of the ten patients was treated at an outpatient level," Potter said. ”The patient was not admitted to the hospital after an evaluation. However, the patient did meet the criteria and was determined to be a probable case. The patient is being treated from home." The cases are linked to a tainted batch of steroid injections that were recently recalled by the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts, which is now closed.

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 17, 2012 

 

Nationally, more than 230 cases have been confirmed and 15 people have died. Fungal meningitis is not contagious, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In all, 634 New Jersey patients received the tainted steroids from May 21 to Sept. 26 from the following facilities: • Center Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield. • Edison Surgical Center, in Edison. • IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, in Teaneck. • Premier Orthopaedic Associates, in Vineland. • Comprehensive Pain Management, in Sparta. • Elmer Hospital, South Jersey Healthcare, in Elmer. • South Jersey Regional Medical Center, South Jersey Healthcare, in Vineland. South Jersey Healthcare Home Health nurses have partnered with the Cumberland and Salem County Health departments to make home visits to affected patients whom they were unable to reach by phone. The region includes a large population of migrant workers. “Our health care system to dedicated to assisting patients who feel they may have signs or symptoms,” Potter said. “We encourage them to reach out and seek care. We are here to help." Fungal meningitis coverage:

• Two new cases of meningitis linked to injections in N.J. • Second Cumberland County resident diagnosed with fungal meningitis • Cumberland County man sees first fungal meningitis diagnosis linked to tainted steroid injection --Contact Spencer Kent at 856-451-1000 or at [email protected].

 

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 17, 2012 

 

NJ fungal meningitis count up to 12 with new South Jersey cases By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on October 17, 2012 at 2:12 PM, updated October 17, 2012 at 2:19 PM

VINELAND — The number of fungal meningitis cases in New Jersey continue to grow as two more patients identified by the state Department of Health. A 66-year-old Cumberland County man was diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis on Wednesday. He received the steroid injection that is linked with meningitis on Aug. 16 at the South Jersey Healthcare Regional Center in Elmer. These are the first cases linked to Elmer Hospital. Another patient diagnoses was a 49-year-old Salem woman who also received the injection in Elmer on Aug. 23. Both patients are listed as recovering at the South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland. Cases of meningitis linked with the steroid produced by the New England Compounding Center have been found in Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. There have been 12 cases in New Jersey since Oct. 9. Two Cumberland County residents who received steroid injections to relieve chronic pain are asserting in separate complaints filed on Tuesday citing the pharmacy company is responsible for exposing them to potentially deadly fungal meningitis. According to their attorney, the two residents filling suits do not currently have fungal meningitis.

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 17, 2012 

 

Related coverage: • Cumberland, Gloucester residents diagnosed with meningitis linked to injections • Two new cases of meningitis linked to injections in N.J. • Second Cumberland County resident diagnosed with fungal meningitis • Cumberland County man sees first fungal meningitis diagnosis linked to tainted steroid injection --Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]

 

2   

The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 17, 2012 

 

NJ fungal meningitis count up to 12 with new South Jersey cases By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on October 17, 2012 at 2:12 PM, updated October 17, 2012 at 7:54 PM

VINELAND — Two additional cases of meningitis have been reported in South Jersey, bringing the state's total count to 12, linked to a tainted batch of steroid injections. A 66-year-old Cumberland County

man was diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis on Wednesday. He received the steroid injection that is linked with meningitis on Aug. 16 at the South Jersey Healthcare Regional Center in Elmer. These are the first cases linked to Elmer Hospital. Another patient diagnoses was a 49-year-old Salem County woman who also received the injection in Elmer on Aug. 23. Both patients are listed as recovering at the South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland. Cases of meningitis linked with the steroid produced by the New England Compounding Center have been found in Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. There have been 12 cases in New Jersey since Oct. 9. Two Cumberland County residents who received steroid injections to relieve chronic pain are asserting in separate complaints filed on Tuesday citing the pharmacy company is responsible for exposing them to potentially deadly fungal meningitis. According to their attorney, the two residents filling suits do not currently have fungal meningitis.

1   

The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 17, 2012 

 

Big question: How did steroids get contaminated? No answer yet; experts offer worker error, sterilization as possibilities 12:44 AM, Oct. 17, 2012 |

Written by

Mike Stobbe Associated Press

NEW YORK — Was it some moldy ceiling tiles? The dusty shoes of a careless employee? Or did the contamination ride in on one of the ingredients? There are lots of ways fungus could have gotten inside the Massachusetts compounding pharmacy whose steroid medication has been linked to a lethal outbreak of a rare fungal form of meningitis. The outbreak has killed at least 15 people and sickened more than 200 others in 15 states. Nearly all the victims had received steroid injections for back pain. Federal and state investigators have been tightlipped about any problems they may have seen at the pharmacy or whether they have pinpointed the source of the contamination. They did disclose last week that they found fungus in more than 50 vials from the company. The New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass., has not commented on its production process or what might have gone wrong, so outside experts can only speculate. But the betting money seems to be on dirty conditions, faulty sterilizing equipment, tainted ingredients or sloppiness on the part of employees. The drug at the center of the investigation is made without preservative, meaning there’s no alcohol or other solution in it to kill germs such as a fungus. So it’s very important that it be made under highly sterile conditions, experts said. Compounding pharmacies aren’t as tightly regulated as drug company plants, but they are supposed to follow certain rules: Clean the floors and other surfaces daily; monitor air in “clean rooms” where drugs are made; require employees to wear gloves and gowns; test samples from each lot. The rules are in the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a kind of national standards book for compounding medicines that’s written by a nonprofit scientific organization.

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                            October 17, 2012 

 

Most inspections, though, are handled by state boards of pharmacy. Massachusetts last inspected New England Compounding in March in response to a complaint unrelated to the outbreak; the results have not been released. High-volume production of the sort that went on at New England Compounding also raise the chances of contamination, experts said.  

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                            October 17, 2012 

 

Meningitis cases rise to 12 in N.J. 9:51 PM, Oct. 17, 2012

  Written by

From staff and wire reports

VINELAND — New Jersey health officials have reported two more fungal meningitis cases tied to a potentially tainted medication. The cases announced Wednesday bring the total in the state to 12, all of which have occurred in South Jersey. Health officials said the two new patients are a 66-year-old Cumberland County man and a 49-yearold Salem County woman who both received steroid injections in August at South Jersey Healthcare Elmer Hospital. The patients in the 10 other cases are residents from Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. Overall, 10 of the 12 patients remained hospitalized Wednesday. All are recovering, health officials said. Health officials say more than 600 patients in New Jersey received the steroid injection at seven facilities across the state from May 21 to Sept. 26. The other 10 patients all got their injections at the SJH Regional Medical Center or Premier Orthopaedic Associates, both in Vineland. Nationally nearly 250 people in 15 states have been sickened in the outbreak, and as of Wednesday, 19 had died. No New Jersey patients have died.  

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                            October 17, 2012 

 

Gloucester County, Cumberland County residents diagnosed with fungal meningitis By Spencer Kent/South Jersey Times on October 16, 2012 at 4:15 PM, updated October 17, 2012 at 2:29 AM Foursquare Email Foursquare Email

VINELAND — Two more South Jersey patients have been diagnosed with fungal meningitis, South Jersey Healthcare officials confirmed Tuesday, bringing the total number of New Jersey cases to 10. The new cases are a 26-year-old Gloucester County woman and a 50-year-old Cumberland County man, according to SJH spokesman Greg Potter. South Jersey Healthcare's Regional Medical Center in Vineland.

This is the first diagnosis of fungal meningitis in Gloucester County.

Both patients are stable and receiving treatment at SJH Regional Medical Center, Potter said. "I can't say too much,” Potter said Tuesday afternoon. “The patients are at the Regional Medical Center and they are recovering. We are monitoring them and providing them as much care as possible.” Six Cumberland County residents have been diagnosed, two from Salem County, and one each from Gloucester and Atlantic counties. All patients have received treatment at Regional Medical Center. “One of the ten patients was treated at an outpatient level," Potter said. ”The patient was not admitted

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Gloucester County Times                                                                                                                               October 17, 2012 

 

to the hospital after an evaluation. However, the patient did meet the criteria and was determined to be a probable case. The patient is being treated from home." The cases are linked to a tainted batch of steroid injections that were recently recalled by the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts, which is now closed. Nationally, more than 230 cases have been confirmed and 15 people have died. Fungal meningitis is not contagious, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In all, 634 New Jersey patients received the tainted steroids from May 21 to Sept. 26 from the following facilities: • Center Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield. • Edison Surgical Center, in Edison. • IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence, in Teaneck. • Premier Orthopaedic Associates, in Vineland. • Comprehensive Pain Management, in Sparta. • Elmer Hospital, South Jersey Healthcare, in Elmer. • South Jersey Regional Medical Center, South Jersey Healthcare, in Vineland. South Jersey Healthcare Home Health nurses have partnered with the Cumberland and Salem County Health departments to make home visits to affected patients whom they were unable to reach by phone. The region includes a large population of migrant workers. “Our health care system to dedicated to assisting patients who feel they may have signs or symptoms,” Potter said. “We encourage them to reach out and seek care. We are here to help." Fungal meningitis coverage:

• Two new cases of meningitis linked to injections in N.J. • Second Cumberland County resident diagnosed with fungal meningitis

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Gloucester County Times                                                                                                                               October 17, 2012 

 

• Cumberland County man sees first fungal meningitis diagnosis linked to tainted steroid injection --Contact Spencer Kent at 856-451-1000 or at [email protected]. 

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Gloucester County Times                                                                                                                               October 17, 2012 

 

Teaneck facility among medical offices connected to meningitis outbreak WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17, 2012, 11:52 AM

BY MEGAN BURROW MANAGING EDITOR TEANECK SUBURBANITE

After a Teaneck facility was listed among the seven New Jersey medical offices connected to a recent outbreak of fungal meningitis, township health officials fielded calls from worried residents with questions about the infection. In response to residents' concerns, the township health department posted information and a list of frequently asked questions and answers on its website. The New Jersey Department of Health announced that the deadly outbreak, which as of Oct. 15, had caused 15 deaths and 214 cases of illness in 15 states across the country, was linked to methylprednisolone acetatean, an injectable steroid medication. The first New Jersey case, a 70-year-old man from Cumberland County who reportedly received an injection at Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associated, LLC, in Vineland, was announced last week. A 57-year-old Cumberland County man has since also been hospitalized. The epidural injection, which is injected into the spine, was administered at seven New Jersey facilities including IF Pain Associates, the Teaneck office of Dr. Isaiah Florence, located at 222 Cedar Lane. The other affected facilities -- Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists, PC in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center, in Edison; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates, LLC, in Vineland; Richard Siegfried, MD, in Sparta; and South Jersey Healthcare, in Elmer and Vineland -- include orthopedic specialists, ambulatory surgery centers and pain centers and physician offices and a health system. The injection has since been recalled and all remaining doses have been removed from the shelves. After the New Jersey Department of Health was notified of the outbreak on Sept. 27 the state immediately began working with the facilities to ensure that patients at greatest risk were notified.

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North Jersey.com                                                                                                                                                October 17, 2012 

  By the next day, the known affected New Jersey health care facilities were notified by the state and the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., where the medication was prepared. The state health department, the federal Centers for Disease Control and other states are currently investigating the outbreak and have advised the affected facilities to contact any patients who may have received epidural steroid injections. "Health care facilities that received this medication have removed the product from inventory and are working to identify and notify all patients who might have received injections from the implicated lots," state Health Commissioner Mary E. O'Dowd said in a statement. "As the investigation continues, the number of affected patients and facilities could expand so any patient who has received an epidural steroid injection who has symptoms should reach out to their health care provider," the commissioner added. Among the symptoms associated with the outbreak are a worsening headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and fever. Affected patients have generally experienced symptoms about one to four weeks following their injection, and have experienced signs of infection ranging from very mild symptoms to stroke symptoms including localized weakness, numbness and slurred speech. According to the CDC, the identified form of fungal meningitis is not contagious, and cannot be spread from person to person. O'Dowd encouraged patients who have received a recent steroid injection and are experiencing symptoms to call their health care provider immediately. About 650 New Jersey patients are believed to have received injections from the contaminated lots, the health commissioner said. "These individuals will need to be monitored for several weeks because it may take one to four weeks or longer for patients to exhibit symptoms. I thank the affected health care facilities for their efforts to offer assistance to their patients as quickly and effectively as possible during this ongoing investigation and response." Additional information about the outbreak is available on the CDC's website at cdc.gov/HAI/ outbreaks/meningitis.html. Email: [email protected]

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North Jersey.com                                                                                                                                                October 17, 2012 

 

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North Jersey.com                                                                                                                                                October 17, 2012 





N.J. reports 12 meningitis cases among 247 nationally October17,2012

Twelve South Jersey residents now appear to have been sickened by contaminated steroid medication that has caused 247 illnesses and 19 deaths, state and federal officials said Wednesday. The local cases - half women and half men, ages 26 to 77, all recovering - received epidural injections for back pain between July 12 and Sept. 26, the day the medication was recalled, at the only three locations in the Philadelphia region that received shipments: Premier Orthopaedic Associates and South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, both in Vineland, and SJH Elmer Hospital in Elmer. Cases linked to the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts, now shut, have been identified in 15 states. One Pennsylvania patient, who got the shot at an Altoona clinic, has been hospitalized - Don Sapatkin



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Philly.com/HealthOctober17,2012

 

 

N.J. reports 12 meningitis cases among 247 nationally October 17, 2012 

Twelve South Jersey residents now appear to have been sickened by contaminated steroid medication that has caused 247 illnesses and 19 deaths, state and federal officials said Wednesday. The local cases - half women and half men, ages 26 to 77, all recovering - received epidural injections for back pain between July 12 and Sept. 26, the day the medication was recalled, at the only three locations in the Philadelphia region that received shipments: Premier Orthopaedic Associates and South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, both in Vineland, and SJH Elmer Hospital in Elmer. Cases linked to the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts, now shut, have been identified in 15 states. One Pennsylvania patient, who got the shot at an Altoona clinic, has been hospitalized - Don Sapatkin

 

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Philly.com/Health                                                                                                                                                October 17, 2012 

 

 

N.J. reports 12 meningitis cases among 247 nationally By Don Sapatkin INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Twelve South Jersey residents now appear to have been sickened by contaminated steroid medication that has caused 247 illnesses and 19 deaths, state and federal officials said Wednesday. The local cases - half women and half men, ages 26 to 77, all recovering - received epidural injections for back pain between July 12 and Sept. 26, the day the medication was recalled, at the only three locations in the Philadelphia region that received shipments: Premier Orthopaedic Associates and South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, both in Vineland, and SJH Elmer Hospital in Elmer. Cases linked to the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts, now shut, have been identified in 15 states. One Pennsylvania patient, who got the shot at an Altoona clinic, has been hospitalized - Don Sapatkin

 

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Philly.com/Health                                                                                                                                                October 17, 2012 

 

NJ fungal meningitis count up to 12 with new South Jersey cases By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on October 17, 2012 at 2:12 PM, updated October 17, 2012 at 7:54 PM

VINELAND — Two additional cases of meningitis have been reported in South Jersey, bringing the state's total count to 12, linked to a tainted batch of steroid injections. A 66-year-old Cumberland County man was diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis on Wednesday. He received the steroid injection that is linked with meningitis on Aug. 16 at the South Jersey Healthcare Regional Center in Elmer. These are the first cases linked to Elmer Hospital. Another patient diagnoses was a 49-year-old Salem County woman who also received the injection in Elmer on Aug. 23. Both patients are listed as recovering at the South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland. Cases of meningitis linked with the steroid produced by the New England Compounding Center have been found in Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. There have been 12 cases in New Jersey since Oct. 9. Two Cumberland County residents who received steroid injections to relieve chronic pain are asserting in separate complaints filed on Tuesday citing the pharmacy company is responsible for exposing them to potentially deadly fungal meningitis. According to their attorney, the two residents filling suits do not currently have fungal meningitis.

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South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                            October 17, 2012 

 

Cumberland County woman diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis; state count now 13 By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on October 18, 2012 at 1:05 PM, updated October 18, 2012 at 1:23 PM

VINELAND — A new case of probable fungal meningitis has been announced by the state Department of Health on Thursday afternoon. The patient is a 48-year-old female from Cumberland County. The injection came from Premier Orthopedics on Aug. 22. She is currently at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland and is listed as recovering by the Department of Health. There are now a total of 13 cases of meningitis in the state, all of which are found in the South Jersey area. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are a total of 247 confirmed cases in the 15 states and 19 deaths have resulted from meningitis. Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]  

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 18, 2012 

 

Another meningitis case reported in Cumberland 11:58 PM, Oct. 18, 2012

  Written by

From staff and wire reports

VINELAND — State health officials have reported another fungal meningitis case in South Jersey. The state now has 13 cases tied to a potentially tainted medication. Health officials said the newest patient is a 48-year-old Cumberland County woman who received a steroid injection Aug. 22 at Premier Orthopaedic Associates in Vineland. She is recovering at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, officials said. Health officials say more than 600 patients in New Jersey received the steroid injection at seven facilities across the state from May 21 to Sept. 26. But so far, all 13 meningitis cases involve patients who received the injections in South Jersey — either at the Regional Medical Center or Premier Orthopaedic or at SJH Elmer Hospital. Overall, 11 of the 13 patients remained hospitalized Thursday. No deaths in New Jersey have been attributed to the outbreak. Meanwhile, federal officials said Thursday they’ve confirmed the fungus found in tainted steroid shots from the pharmacy that manufactured them matches the one causing the meningitis outbreak. Officials previously said more than 50 unopened vials were contaminated with fungus, but they were doing more tests to determine the kind of fungus. With Thursday’s announcement, officials say they have confirmed the link between the outbreak and the maker of the steroids, New England Compounding Center of Framingham, Mass. The specialty pharmacy has been at the center of a national investigation into more than 250 fungal meningitis cases, including at least 20 deaths. The victims in the outbreak had all received steroid shots made by the company, mostly to treat back pain. The company last month recalled three lots of the steroid made since May. 

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                            October 18, 2012 

         

New case of Meningitis reported in New Jersey Posted 10/18/12 06:58 pm by Staff Writer ( [email protected] )

CUMBERLAND COUNTY -- Yet another case of Meningitis has been reported in Cumberland County. The State Department of Health reports that a 48 year-old woman is recovering at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland with a probable case of the disease. That makes the 13th case of Meningitis in the state. She received a steroid shot in August in Vineland. The medicine was from one of the lots recalled by a Massachusetts pharmacy and tied to a national outbreak that has claimed at least 20 lives. According to the CDC, the form of Fungal Meningitis that has been identified is not contagious meaning it is not spread from person to person. 

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NBC40.Net                                                                                                                                                      October 18, 2012 

 

  Posted: Thu, Oct. 18, 2012, 3:00 AM

12 appear sickened by steroid medication Twelve South Jersey residents now appear to have been sickened by the contaminated steroid medication that has caused 247 illnesses and 19 deaths, state and federal officials said Wednesday. The local cases — half women and half men, ages 26 to 77, all recovering — received epidural injections for back pain between July 12 and Sept. 26, the day the medication was recalled, at the only three locations in the Philadelphia region that received shipments: Premier Orthopaedic Associates and South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, both in Vineland, and SJH Elmer Hospital in Elmer. - Don Sapatkin

 

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Philly.com/Health                                                                                                                                                October 18, 2012 

 

Two more found with meningitis Oct. 18, 2012

TRENTON — New Jersey health officials have linked two more fungal meningitis cases to a nationwide outbreak caused by a potentially tainted medication. The new cases announced Wednesday bring the total in the state to 12. Health officials say the two new patients are a 66-year-old Cumberland County man and a 49-yearold Salem County woman. Both received steroid injections in August. The patients in the 10 other cases include residents from Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. Overall, 10 patients remained hospitalized Wednesday. One has been discharged, and the other is being treated as an outpatient.

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Courier‐Post Online                                                                                                                                             October 18, 2012 

 

Cumberland County woman diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis; state count now 13 By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on October 18, 2012 at 1:05 PM, updated October 18, 2012 at 6:42 PM

VINELAND — A new case of probable fungal meningitis has been announced by the state Department of Health on Thursday afternoon. The patient is a 48-year-old female from Cumberland County. The injection came from Premier Orthopedics on Aug. 22. She is currently at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland and is listed as recovering by the Department of Health.

South Jersey Healthcare's Regional Medical Center in Vineland. Bryan Littel/The News of Cumberland County

There are now a total of 13 cases of meningitis in the state, all of which are found in the South Jersey area. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are a total of 247 confirmed cases in the 15 states and 19 deaths have resulted from meningitis. Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]

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South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                            October 18, 2012 

 

Fungal meningitis cases up to 13 Oct. 19, 2012

TRENTON — New Jersey health officials are reporting another fungal meningitis case, bringing to 13 in the state tied to a potentially tainted medication. Health officials on Thursday say the newest patient is a 48-year-old female in Cumberland County who received steroid injections in August. The cases are isolated to Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. Overall, 11 of the 13 patients remained hospitalized Thursday. Health officials say more than 600 patients in New Jersey received the steroid injection at six facilities across the state from May 21 to Sept. 26.

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Courier‐Post Online                                                                                                                                             October 19, 2012 

   

Clinical ISSUE: OCTOBER 2012 | VOLUME: 39 Scope of Meningitis Outbreak Widens by David Bronstein Health officials now say that 170 patients have contracted fungal meningitis after being injected with a contaminated steroid solution prepared by the New England Compounding Center (NECC). Fourteen of the patients who were given the spinal injections for back pain have died in the outbreak, with cases occurring in 11 states, according to newly released figures from state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in Atlanta. As concern over the outbreak deepens, several government officials are calling for stronger regulatory oversight of compounding pharmacies, which they say operate in a grey area that does not require routine batch testing and other types of rigorous safety checks that the FDA mandates be done by the major drug makers. U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey said he would introduce legislation to strengthen the FDA’s oversight of pharmacy compounding, which he called “a regulatory black hole.” It is “shocking,” he said, that a company such as NECC could ship 17,000 doses of a medication across various state lines without FDA regulation. “That’s impossible for an individual state to regulate.” Despite that lack of oversight, many health systems continue to outsource selected drug therapies to pharmacy compounders. At South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, in Vineland, N.J., for example, 124 patients at two hospitals were given injections of potentially tainted methylprednisolone acetate that the hospital purchased from NECC, according to The Wall Street Journal. As of Wednesday, one of those patients was hospitalized with fungal meningitis, the New Jersey Department of Health reported. A History of Safety Issues The current outbreak comes on the heels of several well-publicized cases of illness and death in recent years caused by tainted drugs from compounding pharmacies. Why, then, would a hospital pharmacy continue to purchase products from outside compounders? One pharmacy director who continues to occasionally outsource selected products said the answer is pretty straightforward: ongoing drug shortages. Tom Van Hassel, RPh, MPA, director of pharmacy at Yuma Regional Medical Center, in Yuma, Ariz., noted that in the case of the implicated methylprednisolone solutions shipped by NECC, "at times they were the only company that could consistently provide this product in the strengths needed by pain clinics and some hospitals." In an ideal world, Mr. Van Hassel noted, "of course" it is always preferable to purchase drug products from established manufacturers because those products “are regulated for quality control by the FDA, as opposed to compounders, where no one regulatory body fully embraces that responsibility. But when only the compounders reliably have a short-supply medication, we really have no other recourse.”

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Pharmacy Practice News                                                                                                                                        October 2012 

 

Mr. Van Hassel stressed that the majority of compounders are large, well-run operations that produce millions of doses each year and follow strict quality-control processes and procedures. “But if their error rate is 0.1%— that is, 99.9% accuracy—it means that hundreds if not thousands of potentially contaminated or otherwise unsafe doses are still getting into the supply chain.” That lack of fail-safe quality control “is really scary,” added Mr. Van Hassel. “This is what keeps pharmacy directors up at night.” Virginia Ghafoor, PharmD, a clinical pharmacy specialist for pain management at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, in Minneapolis, has a suggestion for pharmacy directors who are losing sleep over the safety of methylprednisolone purchased from outside compounding pharmacies: Stop buying from those companies unless you have a deep knowledge of how the product is prepared. Dr. Ghafoor explained that because the steroid used for epidural injection is a suspension, it is difficult to adequately remove pyrogens and other bacterial contaminants via the usual method—using a 0.2 micron filter— due to clogging and product integrity issues. Additionally, heat sterilization, another method for ensuring sterility, "will not necessarily remove pyrogens and fungal contaminants," she said. Given those production and safety challenges, "our pharmacy compounding experts ... decided that compounding injectable steroid suspensions was risky. So when methylprednisolone is in short supply, our policy now is to always use alternative agents such as triamcinolone or betamethasone, if available. And we get those medications from one of the larger manufacturers who are regulated by the FDA and who therefore you know are far more likely to follow Good Manufacturing Practices." More Homegrown Solutions, Please As for the proper level of increased regulatory scrutiny that needs to be applied to compounding pharmacies, Dr. Ghafoor warned against overreacting to the current outbreak. Being in a state where more than 800 patients have been injected with the contaminated product from NECC, she noted, "I am acutely aware of the need for tighter safety controls. But I don't think heavy-handed governmental oversight is the right answer; I would prefer that our national pharmacy organizations and State Boards of Pharmacy come up with some viable solutions, since we have lots of talented people who have a deep understanding of the safety and quality issues we all face in sterile compounding." That approach, Dr. Ghafoor noted, will ensure that patients continue to have access to pain therapy, "which is something that I feel very passionate about, especially for individuals with chronic pain, who often have difficulty getting adequate symptom relief,” she said. Mr. Van Hassel, who currently serves as vice president of the Arizona Board of Pharmacy, cautioned that homegrown solutions also have some flaws. In 2004, for example, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) issued safe-practice guidelines for compounding pharmacies. “My understanding is that less than 20 states have adopted those guidelines,” he said. “I appreciate the other states’ hesitation.” The USP guidelines, he explained, are “very complex, very prescriptive and very hard to comply with.” As a result, he noted, “in Arizona, we actually chose to develop our own rules for pharmacy compounders that frankly are more targeted and raise far fewer compliance issues.”

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Pharmacy Practice News                                                                                                                                        October 2012 

 

Voluntary accreditation of compounding pharmacies is another quality-control tool that has some adherents. The Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB), a joint effort by eight leading pharmacy organizations including the USP, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists, offers such testing. To date, however, only 162 out of about 3,000 compounding pharmacies have elected to undergo accreditation, according to Joe Cabaleiro, executive director of the PCAB. Why the slow uptake? “When the market demands that pharmacies be accredited, it will happen [on a more widespread basis],” Mr. Cabaleiro said. The meningitis outbreak, he noted, “might help people see the value of some type of accreditation. We certainly have been trying to get the message out in as many ways as possible to patients, prescribers and payers that if you need compounded medications, you should consider using a PCABaccredited pharmacy.” Mr. Van Hassel said that accreditation is a laudable goal. "But only some of those 162 [PCAB-accredited] companies do sterile compounding; many others only do topicals and other items that won't relieve the chronic shortages we are struggling with. So we are nowhere near a critical mass for accreditation to make a real difference." More Developments As health officials continue their investigations into the meningitis outbreak, new details about the deadly infection are being released. Initial reports, for example, attributed the infections only to spinal injections contaminated with Aspergillus fumigatus, one of the most common Aspergillus species to cause disease in individuals with compromised immune function. But on Tuesday, health officials in Tennessee announced that they had identified a second fungus called Exserohilum as the primary cause of the meningitis cases in the state. At a news briefing, a state health official said that the organism is "a fungus so rare that most physicians never see it in a lifetime of practicing medicine." Additionally, CDC officials are now stressing that although NECC has recalled all of its products from the market and the period of exposure to tainted products is over, the number of meningitis cases might continue to rise. That’s the case, they say, because of the variable incubation period of the potentially deadly infection— anywhere from a few days to six weeks. To stem any future outbreaks, the CDC said that health professionals should not use any products made by NECC. Health officials also are urging clinicians who manage patients given the implicated spinal steroid injection to heed the warning signs of a meningitis infection. Those include flu-like symptoms, such as fever or headache, and neurologic problems, such as numbness and confusion. Additionally, a person who has developed an infection of a normally sterile site (e.g., blood, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural fluid, peritoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, surgical aspirate, bone, joint fluid, etc.) following use of a product labeled as sterile prepared by the NECC should also be seen as a having contracted a “suspect case” of fungal meningitis, the CDC reported.  

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Pharmacy Practice News                                                                                                                                        October 2012 

 

 

90 PEOPLE SICKENED WITH MENINGITIS FROM TAINTED EP

At least 90 people have gotten sick and 4 people killed in an outbreak of meningitis related to tainted epidural steroid pain injections. Health officials report 5 states have victims who sustained illness or death and fear those numbers will increase. Jersey City based Bagolie Friedman Injury Lawyers has begun reviewing potential legal claims related to this defective product. It appears that all people affected so far had received steroid injections, mostly for back pain. The steroid administered in these meningitis cases was made by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts, the New England Compounding Center. That pharmacy issued a recall last week of all its products and has shut down operations. At least one sealed vial of drug has been found to have fungus growing in it, the Food and Drug Administration says. The FDA does not regulate pharmacies like the one in Massachusetts but can be called in when contamination is suspected. Compounding pharmacies usually make drugs to order, and the steroids suspected of causing the infections did not contain preservatives that can keep fungi and bacteria from growing. According to Jersey City defective product lawyer Ricky Bagolie, "It appears that the Centers for Disease Control have identified 7 locations in New Jersey received the meningitis tainted steroid epidurals including: Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center in Edison; IF Pain Associates / Isaiah Florence in Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Association in Vineland; Comprehensive Pain Management in Sparta and South Jersey Health Care in Elmer and Vineland." Meningitis is a dangerous inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include severe and worsening headache, nausea, dizziness and fever. Some patients also experienced slurred speech as well as difficulty walking and urinating. It appears the particular type of meningitis related to the tainted injections is not contagious but is caused by a fungus frequently occurs in leaf mold. "Anyone who had an epidural shot and are experiencing any if the above symptoms or has recently received an injection from one of the identified facilities should seek medical attention immediately as it is better to error on the side of caution," says Bagolie. "We are accepting cases where the illness started appearing as early as 3 months ago as well as where people are diagnosed over the next several months," he said. The victims of contaminated epidural shots who have contracted meningitis have legal rights. Bagolie Friedman Injury Lawyers is ready to answer any questions the public may have related to these potential claims. As always the consultations are free and confidential and there is never a fee if there is no recovery. Contact Ricky Bagolie or Alan Friedman now, toll free at 1-866-333-3LAW (866-333-3529), locally at 201-6568500 or visit them on the web at http://www.bagoliefriedman.com DURAL PAIN SHOTS  

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PR‐USA.net                                                                                                                                                               October 2012 

 

Bridgeton woman upset at goverment regulations after husband contracted meningitis By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times

on October 21, 2012 at 6:00 AM, updated October 21, 2012 at 6:10 AM

BRIDGETON — Kathryn Drain says her husband was the first person in New Jersey to be diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis. To her, it could have all been prevented. As of Friday, there are a total of 13 reported cases of probable fungal meningitis in the state, all of which are in South Jersey. Robert Drain, a 70-year-old Bridgeton resident, received an injection of methylprednisolone acetate on Sept. 26, the day before the voluntary recall of the drug, at Premier Orthopedic Associates in Vineland. The injection was intended to relieve neck pain he has suffered since surgery in 2010.

Kathryn Drain, wife of the first meningitis case in New Jersey, holds a picture of husband, Bob and herself Thursday October 18, 2012. (Staff Photo by Cindy Hepner/South Jersey Times) Don E. Woods/South

“If he had it on Sept. 27, he wouldn’t be in danger,” his wife said last week.

Jersey Times

South Jersey Healthcare officials would not confirm whether Robert Drain is a patient at their facility, citing patient confidentiality laws. It is impossible to properly confirm the meningitis until Robert’s spinal tap results come back but, in the meanwhile, the doctors have given him anti-fungal medication.

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 21, 2012 

 

While her husband lies seriously ill in the hospital, Drain’s biggest frustration, she said, is the fact that this happened at all. After her husband was hospitalized for fungal meningitis, she researched regulations in place to prevent such an outbreak. “This was an accident waiting to happen,” Drain told South Jersey Sunday. What she found was that, despite attempts to have the Food and Drug Administration oversee “compounding pharmacies” which produce such complex drugs as methylprednisolone acetate, the federal agency actually has no regulatory control over facilities like the New England Compounding Center, provider of the tainted steroid. “Once I read that this was something preventable, I was furious,” Drain said. “All of these compounding pharmaceutical companies must be FDA controlled.” Lack of FDA control In 1997, Congress passed the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act that authorized FDA regulation of compounding pharmacies. In 1998, however, seven pharmacies challenged the law on constitutional grounds, arguing that it’s unconstitutional to prohibit drug advertising and solicitation. The appeal was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2002, striking down entire act. “Here we think we’re in the safest country in the world .... We’re not a Third World country,” Drain said, decrying the lack of proper regulation. The federal Centers for Disease Control and the FDA have confirmed the presence of the fungus Exserohilum rostratum in three lots of the steroid compound produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. Together, the CDC and state health departments estimate that approximately 14,000 patients may have received contaminated injections. The agencies say that 97 percent of those patients have been contacted about the possible meningitis infection.

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 21, 2012 

 

What are compounding centers? Compounding pharmacies are sites where medicines are mixed together for greater effectiveness, sources say. The state boards that license pharmacies also oversee compounding pharmacy operations, according to Sarah Clark-Lynn, a spokeswoman for the FDA. While the FDA does have some authority over drugs made by compounding pharmacies, such as adulterated or misbranded drugs, laws exempt pharmacy compounding operations from certain requirements that are applicable to United States drug manufacturing. For example, because compounded drugs are not monitored by the FDA, they do not undergo premarket testing either for safety or effectiveness. “When the agency becomes aware of potentially contaminated or otherwise adulterated or misbranded compounded drug products, the FDA investigates and works with its state counterparts to take appropriate action as quickly as possible,” Clark-Lynn said last week. The FDA spokeswoman stated that an investigation into the cause and scope of the outbreak is now underway and that it is premature to consider preventative steps that could have been made. “As a general matter, the process of producing sterile drugs is highly complex and must be done with great skill and care,” Clark-Lynn said. “Compounding pharmacies have a responsibility to have processes in place to ensure that they are producing quality drug products that are safe. Failure to do so puts patients at risk.” It is unknown at this time what occurred at the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts that caused the outbreak at this time without a thorough investigation. New Jersey’s regulations In New Jersey, sterile and non-sterile compounding is regulated by the Division of Consumer Affairs. The Division of Consumer Affairs’ Enforcement Bureau thoroughly inspects sterile compounding centers and sends its reports to the Board of Pharmacy, according to the Division of Consumer Affairs.

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 21, 2012 

 

“The Division and Board are committed to our obligation to protect the public health and safety,” said Eric T. Kanefsky, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “The board is authorized to take action against any pharmacy that is found to pose a danger to the public.” Inspections are done on an unannounced basis as well as when a facility renovates or changes location. Requirements for sterile compounding in the state include a controlled environment, supervision of the pharmacist-in-charge at the facility, proper training, quality assurance and proper record keeping by the facility, according to the Division of Consumer Affairs. The state standards are based on those set by the United States Pharmacopeial Convention. A husband’s life “I am so furious that something like this happened, and that all these poor people — not just the patients but the families — are going through this,” Kathryn Drain said. Robert is still in the hospital but there are plans for him to come home, according to Drain. She is satisfied, she said, with the doctors who are trying to treat her husband. She said they are waiting for samples from Robert’s spinal tap to confirm the meningitis. Kathryn Drain has no interest in any litigation at present, unlike the two Cumberland County residents currently suing the New England Compounding Center. She has more pending concerns. “Right now, I am concentrating on my husband’s life,” Drain said. “That has nothing to do with money at all. I just want to see my husband healthy and home.”

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]  

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 21, 2012 

 

Bridgeton woman upset at goverment regulations after husband contracted meningitis By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times

on October 21, 2012 at 6:00 AM, updated October 21, 2012 at 6:10 AM

BRIDGETON — Kathryn Drain says her husband was the first person in New Jersey to be diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis. To her, it could have all been prevented. As of Friday, there are a total of 13 reported cases of probable fungal meningitis in the state, all of which are in South Jersey. Robert Drain, a 70-year-old Bridgeton resident, received an injection of methylprednisolone acetate on Sept. 26, the day before the voluntary recall of the drug, at Premier Orthopedic Associates in Vineland. The injection was intended to relieve neck pain he has suffered since surgery in 2010.

Kathryn Drain, wife of the first meningitis case in New Jersey, holds a picture of husband, Bob and herself Thursday October 18, 2012. (Staff Photo by Cindy Hepner/South Jersey Times) Don E. Woods/South

“If he had it on Sept. 27, he wouldn’t be in danger,” his wife said last week.

Jersey Times

South Jersey Healthcare officials would not confirm whether Robert Drain is a patient at their facility, citing patient confidentiality laws. It is impossible to properly confirm the meningitis until Robert’s spinal tap results come back but, in the meanwhile, the doctors have given him anti-fungal medication.

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 21, 2012 

 

While her husband lies seriously ill in the hospital, Drain’s biggest frustration, she said, is the fact that this happened at all. After her husband was hospitalized for fungal meningitis, she researched regulations in place to prevent such an outbreak. “This was an accident waiting to happen,” Drain told South Jersey Sunday. What she found was that, despite attempts to have the Food and Drug Administration oversee “compounding pharmacies” which produce such complex drugs as methylprednisolone acetate, the federal agency actually has no regulatory control over facilities like the New England Compounding Center, provider of the tainted steroid. “Once I read that this was something preventable, I was furious,” Drain said. “All of these compounding pharmaceutical companies must be FDA controlled.” Lack of FDA control In 1997, Congress passed the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act that authorized FDA regulation of compounding pharmacies. In 1998, however, seven pharmacies challenged the law on constitutional grounds, arguing that it’s unconstitutional to prohibit drug advertising and solicitation. The appeal was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2002, striking down entire act. “Here we think we’re in the safest country in the world .... We’re not a Third World country,” Drain said, decrying the lack of proper regulation. The federal Centers for Disease Control and the FDA have confirmed the presence of the fungus Exserohilum rostratum in three lots of the steroid compound produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. Together, the CDC and state health departments estimate that approximately 14,000 patients may have received contaminated injections. The agencies say that 97 percent of those patients have been contacted about the possible meningitis infection.

2   

The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 21, 2012 

 

What are compounding centers? Compounding pharmacies are sites where medicines are mixed together for greater effectiveness, sources say. The state boards that license pharmacies also oversee compounding pharmacy operations, according to Sarah Clark-Lynn, a spokeswoman for the FDA. While the FDA does have some authority over drugs made by compounding pharmacies, such as adulterated or misbranded drugs, laws exempt pharmacy compounding operations from certain requirements that are applicable to United States drug manufacturing. For example, because compounded drugs are not monitored by the FDA, they do not undergo premarket testing either for safety or effectiveness. “When the agency becomes aware of potentially contaminated or otherwise adulterated or misbranded compounded drug products, the FDA investigates and works with its state counterparts to take appropriate action as quickly as possible,” Clark-Lynn said last week. The FDA spokeswoman stated that an investigation into the cause and scope of the outbreak is now underway and that it is premature to consider preventative steps that could have been made. “As a general matter, the process of producing sterile drugs is highly complex and must be done with great skill and care,” Clark-Lynn said. “Compounding pharmacies have a responsibility to have processes in place to ensure that they are producing quality drug products that are safe. Failure to do so puts patients at risk.” It is unknown at this time what occurred at the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts that caused the outbreak at this time without a thorough investigation. New Jersey’s regulations In New Jersey, sterile and non-sterile compounding is regulated by the Division of Consumer Affairs. The Division of Consumer Affairs’ Enforcement Bureau thoroughly inspects sterile compounding centers and sends its reports to the Board of Pharmacy, according to the Division of Consumer Affairs.

3   

The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 21, 2012 

 

“The Division and Board are committed to our obligation to protect the public health and safety,” said Eric T. Kanefsky, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “The board is authorized to take action against any pharmacy that is found to pose a danger to the public.” Inspections are done on an unannounced basis as well as when a facility renovates or changes location. Requirements for sterile compounding in the state include a controlled environment, supervision of the pharmacist-in-charge at the facility, proper training, quality assurance and proper record keeping by the facility, according to the Division of Consumer Affairs. The state standards are based on those set by the United States Pharmacopeial Convention. A husband’s life “I am so furious that something like this happened, and that all these poor people — not just the patients but the families — are going through this,” Kathryn Drain said. Robert is still in the hospital but there are plans for him to come home, according to Drain. She is satisfied, she said, with the doctors who are trying to treat her husband. She said they are waiting for samples from Robert’s spinal tap to confirm the meningitis. Kathryn Drain has no interest in any litigation at present, unlike the two Cumberland County residents currently suing the New England Compounding Center. She has more pending concerns. “Right now, I am concentrating on my husband’s life,” Drain said. “That has nothing to do with money at all. I just want to see my husband healthy and home.”

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]  

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 21, 2012 

 

Three more Cumberland County residents being treated for fungal meningitis Posted: Monday, October 22, 2012 1:21 pm | Updated: 5:04 pm, Mon Oct 22, 2012.

Three more Cumberland County residents being treated for fungal meningitis By THOMAS BARLAS Staff Writer Three more Cumberland County residents who received injections of a possibly tainted steroid medication are being treated for fungal meningitis, state health officials say. The patients include two men, ages 82 and 53, and a 62-year-old woman, the state Department of Health reported Monday. The men received their injections at Premier Orthopedic Surgical Associates in Vineland. The woman received her injection at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland. All three of the patients are being treated at the medical center, health officials said. Health Department statistics show 16 cases of fungal meningitis in New Jersey. People who contracted the ailment are from Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. The one Atlantic County resident who was being treated for fungal meningitis has been released from the medical center, Health Department information shows. Thirteen patients continue to be treated at the medical center. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting 285 cases of fungal meningitis in 16 states. Twenty-three people have died from the disease, which is not contagious. Federal officials have also confirmed the link between the tainted shots and its place of manufacture, the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. Contact Thomas Barlas: 609-226-9197 [email protected]  

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The Press of Atlantic City                                                                                                                                   October 22, 2012 

 

3 more cases of fungal meningitis in NJ; total 16 2:44 PM, Oct 22, 2012 Written by

Associated Press

TRENTON — Three more cases of fungal meningitis were reported over the weekend in New Jersey. That brings to 16 the total number of cases in the state that are tied to a recalled, potentially tainted steroid produced by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts. Nationally nearly 300 cases have been reported in 16 states, including 23 deaths. In New Jersey state health officials say all of those sickened are recovering. Health officials say the three new patients diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis are all from Cumberland County, where the majority of the New Jersey cases have been recorded. They are two men ages 53 and 82, and a 62-year-old woman.

 

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The Asbury Park Press                                                                                                                                       October 22, 2012 

 

3 more Cumberland County residents diagnosed with propable fungal meningitis By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on October 22, 2012 at 2:08 PM, updated October 22, 2012 at 2:09 PM Email | Print

South Jersey Healthcare's Regional Medical Center in Vineland. File photo

VINELAND — The state Department of Health announced three more Cumberland County residents diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis on Saturday. The first individual is a 82-year-old male, who received the injection on Sept. 12 from Premier Orthopedics. The second is a 62-year-old female, who received the injection from South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland on Sept. 20. The final individual is a 53-year-old male, who received the injection from Premier Orthopedics on Sept. 12. All three patients are listed as recovering at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center.

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 22, 2012 

 

There are now 16 cases of probable fungal meningitis in New Jersey, all found in the South Jersey area. The tainted steroid injections came from the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. "My thoughts go out to the families dealing with this outbreak,” said Rep. Frank LoBiondo. “As Congress looks further into this situation and more details about the Massachusetts firm are known, appropriate legal and regulatory actions must be taken to ensure this never happens again.”

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]

 

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The Bridgeton News                                                                                                                                        October 22, 2012 

 

New Jersey nurses inducted into Academy of Emergency Nursing Monday October 22, 2012

The Emergency Nurses Association recently announced the 2012 inductees to the Academy of Emergency Nursing. The AEN fellowship recognizes emergency nurses for their contributions to patient care in and out of the ED. The fellows were honored Sept. 15 at ENA’s annual convention in San Diego. "Each year, we honor outstanding emergency nurses by inducting them into the Academy of Emergency Nursing," Gail Lenehan, RN, EdD, MSN, FAEN, FAAN, 2012 president of the Emergency Nurses Association, said in a press release. "Fellows in the Academy represent the best of the best and have provided invaluable groundbreaking leadership in emergency nursing. Their dedication to their patients and their colleagues is inspirational." The 2012 Academy of Emergency Nursing inductees include Gwyn Parris-Atwell, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, CS, CEN, FAEN with the 514th Aerospace Medicine Squadron at Joint Base McGuire Dix in Lakehurst, N.J., and a nurse practitioner at South Jersey Healthcare, Occupational Medicine Combatant Sports Division, in Bridgeton, N.J.  

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Nurse.com                                                                                                                                                      October 22, 2012 

 

Cumberland man 17th in New Jersey being treated for fungal meningitis By THOMAS BARLAS Staff Writer | Posted: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 6:17 pm

State health officials reported Tuesday that a 41-year-old Cumberland County man is the 17th resident in New Jersey to be treated for fungal meningitis. The man received his back injection with a tainted steroid medication at South Jersey Regional Medical Center in Vineland on Sept. 13, according to the state Department of Health. State health officials said the man is being treated at the medical center. He joins 13 other people who are being treated for fungal meningitis there. State Health Department statistics show that the fungal meningitis patients are all from South Jersey. They live in Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday there are now 308 cases of fungal meningitis, linked to the tainted steroid medication, in 17 states. The disease has caused 23 deaths, the CDC reports Meanwhile, a third South Jersey resident has sued the steroid drug manufacturer, the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. C.M. Hannah, 34, of Runnemede, Camden County, received the steroid back injections at the medical center on Aug. 9 and 30, according to a statement released by is attorney, Michael Barrett. The injection was administered by a physician from Premier Orthopedic Surgical Associates in Vineland, the statement reads. Also named as defendants in the lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Bridgeton, are the medical center, Premier and the physician who administered the injection, the statement reads. The other people who filed similar lawsuits involve a Vineland man and Millville woman. None of the three people who filed the lawsuits have fungal meningitis. Contact Thomas Barlas: 609-226-9197 [email protected]

 

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The Press of Atlantic City                                                                                                                                   October 23, 2012 

 

18th meningitis case reported in South Jersey 10:43 PM, Oct. 23, 2012 Written by

From staff reports

18th meningitis case reported in S. Jersey VINELAND — One more case of fungal meningitis was reported Tuesday in South Jersey, bringing the total to 18. Health officials say they’re linked to a recalled, tainted steroid produced by a specialty pharmacy in Massachusetts. Nationally, there have been 308 cases in 17 states, including 23 deaths since the meningitis outbreak began. In New Jersey, state health officials say all of those sickened are recovering. Sixteen of them are hospitalized at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, one has been discharged from the hospital and one is being treated as an outpatient. The latest case is a 41-year-old Cumberland County man who received a steroid injection Sept. 13 at the Regional Medical Center. — From staff reports

 

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The Daily Journal                                                                                                                                            October 23, 2012 

 

Cumberland County man hospitalized with probable fungal meningitis; state total up to 17 By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on October 23, 2012 at 1:17 PM, updated October 23, 2012 at 1:49 PM

VINELAND — Another probable meningitis case has been announced in Cumberland County, making for a total of 17 in South Jersey. A 41-year-old male received the steroid injection on Sept. 13 at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland, according to the state Department of Health.

South Jersey Healthcare's Regional Medical Center in Vineland. Bryan Littel/The News of Cumberland County

The man is listed as recovering at South Jersey Healthcare. Cases of fungal meningitis have been recorded in Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties, the majority of which are from Cumberland County. Patients diagnosed with meningitis received tainted injections from Premier Orthopedic Associates and South Jersey Healthcare hospitals in both Elmer and Vineland between July 12 and Sept. 26. Patient ages range from 26 to 82. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a total of 297 cases of fungal meningitis in 16 states. Twenty-three people have died because of the infection. Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected] 

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South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                            October 23, 2012 

     

Gloucester County woman diagnosed with probable fungal meningitis; Cumberland man files complaint against pharmacy company By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on October 24, 2012 at 11:15 AM, updated October 24, 2012 at 11:26AM

VINELAND — The state Department of Health announced a new case of probable fungal meningitis on Wednesday, making the state total 18. The patient is a 57-year-old Gloucester County woman. She received the injection on July 12 at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center. She is currently listed as recovering at South Jersey Healthcare, according to the Department of Health. South Jersey Healthcare's Regional Medical Center in Vineland. File photo 

This is the second recorded case of meningitis found in Gloucester County. The nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak has been linked to methylprednisolone acetate steroid injections produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. The injection is used to treat chronic back and neck pain. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found the fungus Exserohilum rostratum in unopened medical vials. South Jersey Healthcare notified patients potentially affected by the outbreak after the three lots of steroids were recalled on Sept. 26. The first case in New Jersey was identified on Oct. 9 as a 70-year-old Cumberland County man.

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The Star Ledger                                                                                                                                                   October 24, 2012 

 

The CDC reports 308 cases in 17 states, including 23 deaths resulting from the infection. The law office of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, P.C., filed a complaint by a Cumberland County resident on Tuesday holding the New England Compounding Center responsible for exposing the plaintiff to potentially deadly fungal meningitis. Christopher M. Hannah received the injection on Aug. 9 and Aug. 30 at South Jersey Healthcare by a physician from Premier Orthopedics, according to his lawyer. “Our client experiences constant pain and neck stiffness, as well as intense headaches associated with the tainted steroid injections,” said Michael F. Barrett, Hannah’s attorney. “Like everyone directly affected by the meningitis outbreak, he is living in fear of the present and his future.” The complaint names the medical practice, physician and the hospital as defendants. The law firm also represents two other Cumberland County residents, Jennifer Marko, 45, of Millville, and Brian Pennington, 45, of Vineland. None of the three individuals filing complaints have been identified as having probable fungal meningitis. Fungal meningitis is not contagious, according to the CDC.

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]  

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The Star Ledger                                                                                                                                                   October 24, 2012 

 

Runnemede man sues firm over tainted steroids 12:18 AM, Oct. 24, 2012 Written by

Jim Walsh Courier-Post Staff

BRIDGETON — A Camden County man who received steroid injections to ease chronic pain has sued a Massachusetts firm at the center of a nationwide meningitis scare. The man, identified in court records as C.M. Hannah of Runnemede, has experienced symptoms associated with injections of tainted steroids produced by Massachusetts-based New England Compounding Center, his attorney said Tuesday. An outbreak of fungal meningitis from contaminated injections has caused at least 23 deaths in 17 states, according to federal authorities. “Our client experiences constant pain and neck stiffness, as well as intense headaches associated with the tainted steroid injections,” said the attorney, Michael Barrett, after he filed the lawsuit in Superior Court in Bridgeton. He said Hannah, 34, “is living in fear of the present and his future.” Barrett’s firm now has filed three suits on behalf of New Jersey residents who received steroid injections. The others are residents of Millville and Vineland. The lawsuit says Hannah received injections twice in August at South Jersey Healthcare by a doctor from Premier Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Associates of Southern New Jersey, LLC. The medical practice, physician, and the hospital are named as defendants. Attorneys for the defendants could not be reached Tuesday evening. Massachusetts officials investigating the pharmacy linked to a deadly outbreak of meningitis said Tuesday they found shoddy sterilization practices and unclean conditions at the New England Compounding Center, including debris-covered floor mats and standing water from a leaking boiler.

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Courier‐Post Online                                                                                                                                             October 24, 2012 

 

NJ IDs Health Facilities in Meningitis Scare Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd says no cases have been uncovered in New Jersey Friday, Oct 5, 2012 | Updated 8:15 PM EDT

 

New Jersey officials have identified the six health care facilities that dispensed medication that has been associated with a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis. Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd says no cases have been uncovered in New Jersey. The outbreak has caused five deaths nationwide. O'Dowd says the epidural steroid injections were administered at Central Jersey Orthopedics Specialists in South Plainfield; Edison Surgical Center in Edison; IF Pain Associates/Isaiah Florence in Teaneck; Premier Orthopedics Surgical Associates in Vineland; South Jersey Healthcare in Elmer and Vineland, and Richard Siegfried of Sparta. Those facilities are contacting patients who received the injections. O'Dowd says anyone who received an injection and hasn't been contacted should call the facility. Meningitis symptoms include fever, worsening headache, nausea and new neurological deficit consistent with deep brain stroke.  

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4NBC‐New York                                                                                                                                                      October 5, 2012 

 

 

Fungal meningitis probable for three more in Cumberland  County ‐‐ Department of Health By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on November 05, 2012 at 2:19 PM, updated November 05, 2012 at 2:30 PM

VINELAND — The number of residents with fungal meningitis continues to grow each day, with a total of 23 probable cases and one confirmed case. The state Department of Health identified three more patients who received a tainted steroid injection produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. The first patient is a 59-year-old female who received the injection on Aug. 16. The second patient is a 48-year-old male who received the injection on Sept. 25. The third is a 49-year-old male who received the injection on Sept. 20. All three individuals are Cumberland County residents and were given the steroid at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland. They are listed as recovering at the regional medical center, according to the state Department of Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the nationwide count at 404 patients in 19 states. Twenty-nine individuals - none from New Jersey - have died in the United States because of the injection.

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected] 

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The South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                   November 5, 2012 

 

 

Posted: Monday, November 5, 2012 4:35 pm | Updated: 5:54 pm, Mon Nov 5, 2012.

New probable meningitis cases bring Cumberland County  total to 18 By THOMAS BARLAS, Staff Writer

Three new probable cases of fungal meningitis in Cumberland County were reported Monday by the New Jersey Department of Health. The new cases bring the Cumberland County total to 18, and the state total to 24. Three new probable Cumberland County cases were reported on Friday by the Department of Health. Four of the six new cases were found in men aged 35, 48, 49, and 73. The women are 51 and 59 years old. As has been the case with all 24 patients in the state, the six new patients are listed as recovering, and are being treated at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center. Two are being monitored as outpatients. One of the 24 patients, an Atlantic County woman, has been discharged from the hospital. The meningitis cases are believed to be linked to tainted steroid injections. Federal officials have confirmed the link between the tainted shots and its place of manufacture, the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. David Simpson      

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The Press of Atlantic City                                                                                                                               November 5, 2012 

 

 

Three more cases of probable fungal meningitis; South Jersey total up to 20 By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on November 02, 2012 at 2:11 PM, updated November 02, 2012 at 2:20 PM

VINELAND — The state Department of Health reported three new cases of probable fungal meningitis today. The first patient is a 51-year-old female who received the tainted steroid injection on Sept. 12. The second patient is a 35-year-old male who received the injection on Aug. 23. Both patients went to South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland for the steroid and are listed as an outpatient at the hospital. The third patient, a 73-year-old male, received the injection at Premier Orthopedics on July 25 and is listed as recovering at South Jersey Healthcare. All three individuals are Cumberland County residents. Since Oct. 9, the state has a total of 20 cases of probable meningitis. The first case of meningitis, a 70-year-old Cumberland County male, was changed from probable to confirmed.

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected] 

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The South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                   November 2, 2012 

 

 

Meningitis outbreak may lead to new preventative legislation By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on November 02, 2012 at 8:00 PM, updated November 02, 2012 at 8:02 PM

BRIDGETON — Robert Drain is back home but still on antifungal medication to combat the fungal meningitis he contracted after receiving a tainted steroid injection. Drain was the first New Jersey resident to be reported to have probable fungal meningitis but it was not confirmed until his spinal tap results came in. “He was doing much better in the hospital but I’m glad he’s home,” said Kathryn Drain, his wife. According to his wife, he has felt weak since returning from the hospital and hasn’t had any appetite. His voice has also become horse. “His voice, it’s almost like he has a sore throat but he doesn’t have a cold,” Kathryn said. The anti-fungal medication is expensive though, costing $4,500 a month without insurance. Luckily the hospital covered the first month of prescriptions. Her husband, a retired teamster, had to go through the TEAMStar insurance to get the medicine covered but the coverage won’t take effect until January. For the Drain family, there is nothing left for them to do but to wait for the meningitis to clear up.

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The South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                   November 2, 2012 

 

 

Kathryn is frustrated, however, that there wasn’t any federal regulation to prevent this outbreak from happening in the first place. “We look up to our leaders to take care of the citizens of the United States,” she said. Looking for a leader to talk to, she called Congressman Frank LoBiondo’s Mays Landing office on Wednesday to speak with him. Five minutes later, the congressman called her back to speak with her on the matter. “I look forward to reviewing what is developed on how we can best prevent something like this from ever happening,” LoBiondo said. Although there is still an ongoing investigation as to the cause of the contamination, LoBiondo is quite sure that some legislation will be put in place when congress goes back into session. He did mention that there are several bills currently being developed to create preventative measures. “When it comes to the safety of the public, we’re responsible for doing what we have to do on a bipartisan basis,” LoBiondo said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 386 cases of fungal meningitis are reported in 19 states. Twenty-eight deaths have resulted from the infection. In New Jersey alone, there are 20 cases of probable meningitis, located mostly in Cumberland County but also found in Atlantic, Gloucester and Salem counties. The state Department of Health announced three new cases of probable fungal meningitis on Friday. The first patient is a 51-year-old female who received the tainted steroid injection on Sept. 12. The second patient is a 35-year-old male who received the injection on Aug. 23.

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The South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                   November 2, 2012 

 

 

Both patients went to South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland for the steroid and are listed as an outpatient at the hospital. The third patient, a 73-year-old male, received the injection at Premier Orthopedics on July 25 and is listed as recovering at South Jersey Healthcare. All three individuals are Cumberland County residents.

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]

3   

The South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                   November 2, 2012 

 

 

Fungal meningitis probable for three more in Cumberland  County ‐‐ Department of Health By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on November 05, 2012 at 2:19 PM, updated November 05, 2012 at 2:30 PM

VINELAND — The number of residents with fungal meningitis continues to grow each day, with a total of 23 probable cases and one confirmed case. The state Department of Health identified three more patients who received a tainted steroid injection produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. The first patient is a 59-year-old female who received the injection on Aug. 16. The second patient is a 48-year-old male who received the injection on Sept. 25. The third is a 49-year-old male who received the injection on Sept. 20. All three individuals are Cumberland County residents and were given the steroid at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland. They are listed as recovering at the regional medical center, according to the state Department of Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the nationwide count at 404 patients in 19 states. Twenty-nine individuals - none from New Jersey - have died in the United States because of the injection.

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected] 

1   

The South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                   November 5, 2012 

 

 

NJ fungal meningitis case total up to 25 with another probable in Cumberland County By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on November 07, 2012 at 2:09 PM, updated November 07, 2012 at 2:26 PM

VINELAND — The state Department of Health (DOH) announced a 25th case of fungal meningitis in New Jersey. A 59-year-old Cumberland County female was listed as recovering from probable fungal meningitis today on the DOH website. The patient received the tainted steroid injection from Premier Orthopedics on Sept. 5, according to the DOH — where many of the probably cases of fungal meningitis have derived. She is now recovering at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland. New Jersey now has 23 cases of probable meningitis and 2 confirmed cases. The confirmed cases are a 70-year-old man and a 53-year-old man. Both are from Cumberland County. Patients are not listed as confirmed until doctors perform a spinal tap and run fungal tests on the samples. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention records 419 nationwide cases of fungal meningitis in 19 states and 30 deaths. The CDC linked the outbreak to three lots of steroid injections produced by the New England Compounding Center.

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]  

1   

The South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                   November 7, 2012 

 

   

 

1   

The South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                   November 7, 2012 

 

South Jersey woman who developed fungal meningitis files lawsuit FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2012

LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2012, 5:36 PM

BY LINDY WASHBURN STAFF WRITER THE RECORD

A South Jersey woman who developed fungal meningitis after receiving a tainted steroid injection has sued the pharmacy that prepared the moldy pain reliever as well as the physician, medical practice and hospital where she received the shot a day after a federal recall. Andre Gould, 55, of Millville, is believed to be the first New Jersey patient with meningitis to have filed suit in connection with the nationwide meningitis outbreak, now blamed for 31 deaths. More than 670 people in New Jersey were exposed to the contaminated medication and 27 cases have been reported, with no deaths. The suit, filed in Cumberland County Superior Court, alleges that the New England Compounding Center was negligent because it failed to follow long established standard safety procedures. The suit also names South Jersey Medical Center, the hospital where Gould’s injections were administered; Premier Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Associates of Southern New Jersey and one of its physicians. She received one of her shots on Sept. 27, a day after the federal recall of several lots of the steroidal medication, the suit says. The healthcare providers “knew or should have known of pre-existing issues and problems that NECC had,” said Michael J. Barrett, her attorney. The compounding center has now lost its license and shut down completely. It settled a lawsuit before trial in 2007 involving the death of an 83-year-old man who developed bacterial meningitis from an injection prepared at the Massachusetts facility. Gould, “who also suffers from debilitating kidney disease, experiences constant headaches, chills and continuing intense back pain associated with the tainted steroid injections,” said Barrett. She was hospitalized and treated with an anti-fungal medication after testing positive for fungal meningitis on Oct. 18, the attorney said.

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NorthJersey.com                                                                                                                                             November 9, 2012 

 

Her case is the sixth to be filed in New Jersey in connection with the meningitis outbreak. Five others, also by the firm of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett and Bendesky, involve people who were exposed to fungal meningitis but have not developed the disease. The firm represents 20 clients, including two others who are being treated for fungal meningitis, and expects to file a lawsuit for each one, Barrett said. While other cases have been filed in other states, it is unlikely the New Jersey cases will be consolidated with them in a mass tort action because local healthcare providers are named as defendants, he said.

Email: [email protected]                

2   

 

NorthJersey.com                                                                                                                                             November 9, 2012 

 

Latest News Cumberland County Woman Files Suit In Deadly Meningitis Case November 11, 2012 4:00 A

By David Madden

MILLVILLE, N.J. (CBS) – A Cumberland County woman who came down with fungal meningitis after receiving contaminated steroid injections has taken her problems to Superior Court in the form of a lawsuit. 55-year-old Andre Gould of Millville is one of six clients represented by attorney Michael Barrett who have filed lawsuits. They all got those tainted shots for pain only Gould’s turned into full blown meningitis. “She had some very serious pre-existing medical conditions that, unfortunately, she can’t receive the appropriate treatment for because of this complication,” Barrett explained. She got a pair of injections at South Jersey Regional Medical Center in Bridgeton in late September 2nd, a day after the drug manufactured at the New England Compounding Center was recalled by the FDA, according to the lawsuit. Barrett represents more than 25 people, all in Cumberland County, who received those injections. He says he wouldn’t be surprised if more are officially diagnosed with meningitis.      

1   

UHC.TV                                                                                                                                                        November 11, 2012 

           

2   

 

UHC.TV                                                                                                                                                        November 11, 2012 

 

 

Millville woman sues company that distributed tainted steroid injections By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on November 09, 2012 at 5:05 PM, updated November 09, 2012 at 6:10 PM

MILLVILLE — A city resident who allegedly contracted fungal meningitis after receiving a tainted steroid injection has filed suit against the pharmacy that created the drug and the hospital that injected her. The wife and husband seek $50,000 in damages caused by the meningitis. The state Department of Health also announced today two new cases of probable meningitis in Salem and Cumberland counties. South Jersey Healthcare administered an epidural injection of methylprednisolone acetate to Andre Gould, 55, of Millville, on Sept. 13, according to court documents filed this week. She received the injection for neck pain. An injection also took place on Sept. 27, a day after the recall, according to the complaint. The company that produced the steroid, the New England Compounding Center, recalled lots tainted with a fungus that were sent out nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 438 cases of fungal meningitis linked with the injection in 19 states.

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South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                          November 9, 2012 

 

Thirty-two deaths have been linked to the steroid. South Jersey Healthcare contacted Gould about the possibly contaminated injections. “Mrs. Gould, who also suffers from debilitating kidney disease, experiences constant headaches, chills and continuing intense back pain associated with the tainted steroid injections,” said Michael F. Barrett, Gould’s attorney. “On Oct. 18, 2012, she tested positive and her physicians immediately admitted her to the hospital, where she received antifungal medications.” She was released from South Jersey Healthcare on Oct. 20. The suit names the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., Premier Orthopaedic, which administered the injection, her doctor and South Jersey Healthcare, the site where she received the injection. “Presently, we are representing 25 people who have been notified that they’ve received the epidural steroid injection,” Barrett said. Of those 25, there are four clients, including Gould, who have been treated by South Jersey Healthcare with antifungal medication, according to Barrett. The state Department of Health lists 27 total cases of meningitis in New Jersey, all found in the South Jersey region. Of those 27, two are confirmed cases. Two new cases were reported Friday. One is a 74-year-old Salem County woman who received the injection at Premier Orthopedics on Sept. 5. She was treated at South Jersey Healthcare-Regional Medical Center in Vineland and is listed as discharged.

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South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                          November 9, 2012 

 

The second patient is a 34-year-old Cumberland County female who received an injection at South Jersey Medical Center on July 26. She is currently hospitalized at the facility, according to the Department of Health.

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]              

3   

 

South Jersey Times                                                                                                                                          November 9, 2012 

 

Latest News Cumberland County Woman Files Suit In Deadly Meningitis Case November 11, 2012 4:00 A

By David Madden

MILLVILLE, N.J. (CBS) – A Cumberland County woman who came down with fungal meningitis after receiving contaminated steroid injections has taken her problems to Superior Court in the form of a lawsuit. 55-year-old Andre Gould of Millville is one of six clients represented by attorney Michael Barrett who have filed lawsuits. They all got those tainted shots for pain only Gould’s turned into full blown meningitis. “She had some very serious pre-existing medical conditions that, unfortunately, she can’t receive the appropriate treatment for because of this complication,” Barrett explained. She got a pair of injections at South Jersey Regional Medical Center in Bridgeton in late September 2nd, a day after the drug manufactured at the New England Compounding Center was recalled by the FDA, according to the lawsuit. Barrett represents more than 25 people, all in Cumberland County, who received those injections. He says he wouldn’t be surprised if more are officially diagnosed with meningitis.      

1   

UHC.TV                                                                                                                                                        November 11, 2012 

           

2   

 

UHC.TV                                                                                                                                                        November 11, 2012 

 

South Jersey woman who developed fungal meningitis files lawsuit FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2012

LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2012, 5:36 PM

BY LINDY WASHBURN STAFF WRITER THE RECORD

A South Jersey woman who developed fungal meningitis after receiving a tainted steroid injection has sued the pharmacy that prepared the moldy pain reliever as well as the physician, medical practice and hospital where she received the shot a day after a federal recall. Andre Gould, 55, of Millville, is believed to be the first New Jersey patient with meningitis to have filed suit in connection with the nationwide meningitis outbreak, now blamed for 31 deaths. More than 670 people in New Jersey were exposed to the contaminated medication and 27 cases have been reported, with no deaths. The suit, filed in Cumberland County Superior Court, alleges that the New England Compounding Center was negligent because it failed to follow long established standard safety procedures. The suit also names South Jersey Medical Center, the hospital where Gould’s injections were administered; Premier Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Associates of Southern New Jersey and one of its physicians. She received one of her shots on Sept. 27, a day after the federal recall of several lots of the steroidal medication, the suit says. The healthcare providers “knew or should have known of pre-existing issues and problems that NECC had,” said Michael J. Barrett, her attorney. The compounding center has now lost its license and shut down completely. It settled a lawsuit before trial in 2007 involving the death of an 83-year-old man who developed bacterial meningitis from an injection prepared at the Massachusetts facility. Gould, “who also suffers from debilitating kidney disease, experiences constant headaches, chills and continuing intense back pain associated with the tainted steroid injections,” said Barrett. She was hospitalized and treated with an anti-fungal medication after testing positive for fungal meningitis on Oct. 18, the attorney said.

1   

NorthJersey.com                                                                                                                                             November 9, 2012 

 

Her case is the sixth to be filed in New Jersey in connection with the meningitis outbreak. Five others, also by the firm of Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett and Bendesky, involve people who were exposed to fungal meningitis but have not developed the disease. The firm represents 20 clients, including two others who are being treated for fungal meningitis, and expects to file a lawsuit for each one, Barrett said. While other cases have been filed in other states, it is unlikely the New Jersey cases will be consolidated with them in a mass tort action because local healthcare providers are named as defendants, he said.

Email: [email protected]                

2   

 

NorthJersey.com                                                                                                                                             November 9, 2012