Bad Shot Linked to Meningitis

 Posted on February 28, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

Many families are still feeling the effects of a bad steroid shot that was administered to people in northern Indiana and the Chicago-land area. According to a USA Today article, “as many as 13,000 people received steroid shots suspected in a national meningitis outbreak,” but it wasn't, and still isn't, clear just how many people are in danger. The shot was administered to people in the back, for pain, and a large proportion of the people who received the shots are elderly. This puts them at an even greater risk of contracting meningitis, because their bodies are less likely to be able to fight off the disease.

More than 100 people were infected, and more than 8 people died after contracting the deadly disease. “Investigators suspect a steroid medication made by a specialty pharmacy may to be blame,” according to the USA Today. The infection is fungal meningitis, a rarely seen form of the disease, and was first diagnosed in Tennessee. It wasn't long before the cases spread to Michigan, Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Ohio.

In some cases, patients had only minor symptoms, which can include headache, dizziness, fever, and nausea. Most symptoms developed in patients one to four weeks after receiving the shot, which was largely administered last summer. Yet doctors are still cautious and alert to their patients' conditions, and some are still being treated with a painful test to determine whether or not they are carrying the disease.

If you or someone you know has been injected with a bad shot—whether this one or another—you may be eligible for compensation. Don't go through it alone. Contact a dedicated defective medical practice attorney today.

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