In 2012, there was a scandal related to impure steroid created under improper manufacturing conditions in a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts. People all over the country who’d had contaminated steroid injections into the spine suffered from severe infections. Many other patients worried whether they might have been affected.
Did Contaminated Steroid Injections Affect Other Joints?
Q. Five weeks ago I was given a steroid shot in my right hip. For three weeks afterwards I had severe pain in the back of my head. My vision was blurry. I had such pain in my body that I had to cancel a trip to Seattle.
These symptoms have pretty much gone away and I think I am returned to normal. If the shot was from a bad mixture is there a possibility I might get meningitis?
Jim, Oct 9, 2012
A. Jim, your question has forced us to start wondering about the thousands of people who may have also received contaminated steroid injections in hips, knees and shoulders over the last few months. The media pretty much missed this possibility although such steroid shots are even more common than spinal injections. A case of an ankle infection in Michigan, however, now has everyone concerned.
The likelihood of contracting meningitis from a shot in the hip is considered much lower than from an injection directly into the spinal column. Nevertheless, we would like you to contact your physician immediately and report your experience. Public health authorities have been trying to track down everyone who received a a steroid injection that originated from the New England Compounding Center.
The Official Report on Contaminated Steroid Injections:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out the following on its website:
“While CDC is only aware of infections occurring in patients who have received epidural steroid injections [spinal injections], patients who received other types of injection (e.g., joint injection) with potentially contaminated methylprednisolone acetate should also be contacted to assess for signs of infection (e.g., swelling, increasing pain, redness, warmth at the injection site) and should be encouraged to seek evaluation (e.g., arthrocentesis) if such symptoms exist.”
Were the three lots mentioned only used for spinal injections?
“No. These medications were used for other types of injections, including injections into the joint (e.g., knee). To date, CDC has only identified infections in patients who received epidural steroid injections with these medications. However, patients who received other types of injections with these products may also be at risk.”
The Lots in question are:
- Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #05212012@68, BUD 11/17/2012
- Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #06292012@26, BUD 12/26/2012
- Methylprednisolone Acetate (PF) 80 mg/ml Injection, Lot #08102012@51, BUD 2/6/2013
What states have received the potentially contaminated medication?
Twenty-three states have received medication from the New England Compounding Center:
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
The names of the facilities that have received medication from one of these lots are available at
http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis-facilities-map.html
Jim, please contact your physician immediately for follow up. If he injected your hip with steroid from one of the lot numbers above, you may need further testing.
Anyone else who has received a steroid injection within the last few months and lives in one of the states mentioned should contact the health professionals involved and ask them to check the lot number to see if there is any possibility for problems down the road. If not, rest easy. If there was an injection from one of the contaminated products, please monitor symptoms very carefully and ask your physician whether arthrocentesis is necessary.
