massachusetts-meningitis-attorney

Massachusetts meningitis lawyer Kevin Landry announced to his clients that U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today the 24th person has died from the meningitis outbreak that occurred as a result of contaminated drug vials from a compounding lab in Framingham, Massachusetts.

The exact figure for infected Masachusetts victims is unknown, but he cautions all people who have received injections, particularly those that are steroid based injections for treatment of pain, to seek medical attention immediately should they start to shows signs and symptoms of meningitis.

Fungal Meningitis: Rare but Deadly

The 24th fatality, the Massachusetts meningitis lawyer went on to say the 24th victim died due to a rare kind of meningitis known as fungal meningitis and was receiving injections of steroids to treat back pain.

The CDC has now reported over 300 cases of fungal meningitis and over 50 cases of meningitis that are attributed to the Framingham drug compounding laboratory.

All of thee fungal meningitis victims were infected with a rare form of fungus names Exoserohilum rostratum, the very same kind of fungus that has been reported in other vials from the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts.

One patient was exposed to a different fungal infection from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, which up until this point the CDC has never been recognized as a cause for meningitis before this recent meningitis outbreak.

Although the CDC has never seen this kind of infection in humans before, the treatment protocol is similar to that of any other fungal infection namely; high does intravenous anti-fungal medicines typically administered in a hospital based setting.

Although early treatment does make for a better patient outcome, early correct diagnosis is the key to treatment.

Should a physician misdiagnose the cause as a bacterial form of meningitis and mistreat with antibiotics, which do not kill fungal infections, essential time is lost, while patient outcomes suffer as a result.

The same goes with a patient diagnosed as a fungal meningitis, should they be diagnosed as bacterial meningitis case, proper treatment with the correct treatment is extremely important.

Should a physician or hospital be guilty of this, they could be held liable should the patient experience a poor or even fatal outcome.

Massachusetts Meningitis Lawyer: “Beware”

Over 14,000 patients are thought to have been injected with the contaminated injections and the Massachusetts meningitis lawyer cautions all who have received injections int he past few months to be on the lookout for potential symptoms.

Symptoms present with severe headache, high fever, nausea, a stiff neck as well as sensitivity to light and sound. Although meningitis is not contagious, quick and accurate treatment is absolutely necessary for a proper resolution of the illness.

The New England Compounding Center is most certainly liable for the still evolving damage it has caused to patient lives and has acted irresponsibly in the way in which it has handled this unprecedented meningitis outbreak. Physicians and/or hospital which may have misdiagnosed or mistreated patients can be held liable as well.

If you have been infected or know someone who has been infected with meningitis, seek medical treatment immediately. Soon thereafter it’s a wise decision to contact a Massachusetts meningitis lawyer familiar with all types of medical malpractice can assist you with your claim should you choose to pursue one.