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The outbreak of fungal meningitis tied to steroid shots for back pain has
grown to include 91 cases in nine states, health officials said yesterday. Here
are five things you should know about meningitis and this outbreak.
What causes meningitis?
Meningitis is a swelling or inflammation of the membranes that cover the
brain and spinal cord (which are called the meninges). A number of things can
cause meningitis. Usually the swelling is caused by an infection with a virus
or bacteria, but it can also be caused by infection with a fungus or parasite.
Head injuries, brain surgery and some cancers can also cause meningitis.
When meningitis is caused by a virus or bacteria, it can spread from
person to person. However, meningitis caused by a fungus is not contagious.
People affected by the current outbreak of fungal meningitis became ill after
injections of a steroid drug contaminated with fungus were administered into
their spines.
People who have received a steroid injection shot for back pain since
May 21 should talk to their doctor as soon as possible if they have experienced
any of the following symptoms: new or worsening headache, fever, sensitivity to
light, stiff neck, slurred speech, new weakness or numbness in any part of your
body, or increased pain, swelling or redness at the injection site.
Why are steroids given for back pain?
Steroid shots are sometimes used to treat lower back pain, such as pain caused
by swelling (inflammation) around compressed nerves in lower back. The
rationale for the therapy is that steroids reduce inflammation, and so they may
help with the pain. However, evidence that these injections work to reduce
lower back pain has been mixed. A study published last year found the drugs
work no better than a placebo.
Why is the number of cases still increasing?
The rising number of cases in the meningitis outbreak does not mean
doctors are still using the tainted drugs. Symptoms take one to four weeks to
appear, so some people who received shots prior to the recall may still develop
meningitis. In other cases, people may have fallen sick sometime in the past
several months after receiving an injection, but doctors are now better able to
identify the cause of their illnesses.
Are people who received steroid shots to treat something other than back
pain affected by the outbreak?
So far, the only people who have fallen ill in the meningitis outbreak
received the steroid shots in their spine as treatment for lower back pain.
However, the recalled steroid drugs were also used in other ways, such as
injections into joints to treat joint pain, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Patients who received other types of
injections with the recalled products may also be at risk, the CDC says.
How can I find out if the medication I received is part of the recall?
All of the facilities that received the potentially contaminated steroid
shots, made by the New England Compounding Center (NECC), have been listed by
the CDC. In addition to the contaminated
steroid shots, all products made by the NECC are also being recalled. A full
list of the recalled products was released by the company. Patients who are
concerned they may have been treated with any of the recalled products should
speak with their health care provider.
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