Update: Multistate Outbreak of Fungal Infections Among Persons Who Received Injections with Contaminated Medication [December 20, 2012, 11:55 ET (11:545 AM ET)]

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Multistate outbreak of fungal infections among persons who received injections with contaminated medication
• Corporate Authors:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Health Alert Network (HAN)
• Description:
  December 20, 2012, 11:55 ET (11:545 AM ET)
  
  CDC HAN-0338-2012-12-20-U-N
  
  New information from diagnostic imaging of patients exposed to contaminated methylprednisolone acetate (MPA1) from the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Framingham, Mass., demonstrates the need for assertive clinical evaluation of these patients for the possibility of an unrecognized, localized spinal or paraspinal infection. This Health Alert Network (HAN) notice provides updated guidance and information about the ongoing multistate outbreak of fungal infections as follows:
  
  • CDC and state partners have analyzed new preliminary data based on recent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies among patients who had spinal or paraspinal injection with contaminated MPA from NECC. These findings demonstrate that among patients with no previous evidence of infection, and with new or worsening symptoms at or near the site of their injection, more than 50% had findings suggestive of a localized spinal or paraspinal infection, including epidural abscess, phlegmon, arachnoiditis, discitis, or vertebral osteomyelitis.
  
  • This new information suggests that some patients who received spinal or paraspinal injections with implicated MPA from NECC may currently have an unrecognized, localized spinal or paraspinal infection.
  
  • CDC is therefore re-emphasizing the guidance from the November 20 HAN advisory that recommended clinicians remain vigilant for evidence of fungal infection in these patients and use an assertive approach for clinical management and follow-up of these patients. CDC continues to recommend MRI with contrast of the symptomatic area(s) in patients with new or worsening symptoms at or near their injection site following spinal or paraspinal injection of implicated MPA.
  
  • In addition, CDC is recommending that clinicians should consider obtaining an MRI with contrast of the injection site in patients with persistent but baseline symptoms because the presentation of these spinal or paraspinal infections can be subtle and difficult to distinguish from a patient's baseline chronic pain.
  
  
• Content Notes:
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  Categories of Health Alert Network (HAN) messages:
  
  Health Alert: Requires immediate action or attention, highest level of importance.
  
  Health Advisory: May not require immediate action; provides important information for a specific incident or situation.
  
  Health Update: Unlikely to require immediate action; provides updated information regarding an incident or situation.
  
  HAN Info Service: Does not require immediate action; provides general public health information.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Anti-Inflammatory Agents/adverse Effects Aspergillus Fumigatus Disease Outbreaks Drug Compounding Drug Contamination Injections, Epidural Meningitis, Fungal Methylprednisolone Steroids/adverse Effects Stroke
• Keywords:
  HAN Health Alert Network
• Source:
  HAN ; 338
• Series:
  Health Alert Network
• Subseries:
  CDC Health Update
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Alert
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Rights:
  Public Domain
• Pages in Document:
  3 unnumbered pages
• Issue:
  00338
• Collection(s):
  Health Alert Network (HAN)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e1759aec3b796ec04e13dcdf844334b1298e89aaec6a5d1d202629980580117eafa2e47f9b1eb01c8a9369246ec1843afd7d0a916a36f5364ea3b8e73e6e36fc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/25247/cdc_25247_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.05 MB ]