Orlando patients expect the best from a healthcare community with top-rated hospitals and clinics. So when word of a fungal meningitis outbreak caused by a tainted steroid hit the media, it came as a shock.
In October 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it had traced the outbreak to fungal contamination in three lots of medication packaged and marketed by the New England Compounding Center, a compounding pharmacy in Framingham, Mass. The tainted steroid was used for epidural steroid injections and had been distributed to 75 medical facilities in 23 states, including Florida. Between May 21 and September 24, doctors had administered doses of the medication to nearly 14,000 patients. By early December, 19 states had reported a total of 590 patients with fungal infection, 368 of which were proven cases of fungal meningitis with a host of symptoms including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, exhaustion and difficulty with speech and attention. Nearly 40 of these patients had died.
We expect medical treatment to improve or even save our lives and those of our loved ones. So when a dangerous or defective drug causes injury or death, it’s a serious issue. Those affected by the breakout face years of medical ailments, plus tens of thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. These issues can have a profound effect on the quality of life of both the patient and his or her family.
Product liability and personal injury attorneys with Orlando’s Harrell & Harrell specialize in helping victims of dangerous drugs and defective medical products secure fair compensation for their financial and quality-of-life losses. If you or your dependents were injured by the tainted steroid or another faulty drug, contact us for a free legal consultation.
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