24 NH Medical Practices Contacting Patients Over Meningitis Outbreak

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday afternoon that the list of medications potentially associated with a nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis has grown, as has the number of New Hampshire medical practices that treated patients with drugs on the recall list and another two cases of meningitis have been confirmed in the state.

The  New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health Services is encouraging 24 health care providers (listed in a PDF at right) to contact patients who received any injectable products from New England Compounding Center, in Framingham, Mass., since May 21, according to a press release sent Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided states with a list generated by the Food and Drug Administration, which included all facilities that received NECC products after this date.

This is an expanded list of products from the initially recalled steroid –  three lots of methylprednisolone acetate used for injections for pain management – used at only two New Hampshire clinics – Pain Care in Merrimack and Somersworth – who gave the steroid as an epidural injection. The Newington Pain Care location was added to the list a couple days later when it was learned that the steroid may have been injected into joints, as well.

The new list includes any injectable NECC product, as well as any ophthalmic drug that is used in conjunction with eye surgery and a cardioplegic solution – a solution that can be used in certain cardiac surgeries. DPHS has posted online the names of the 24 New Hampshire healthcare  providers who received these products. Each healthcare provider has been contacted by DPHS, is reviewing its records to verify that medications were used for patient care, and if so, contacting those patients, according to the release. This outreach is a national recommendation made by FDA to providers.

Another two cases of meningitis have also been confirmed in New Hampshire, related to this outbreak. The two patients are a male and a female and are under evaluation and care. This brings the total in the state to eight cases. Nationally to date, 16 states have reported 257 cases, including 20 deaths.

“We recognize that there is a great deal of confusion around the medications and who is at risk during this quickly evolving situation,” said Dr. José Montero, Director of DPHS. “We do not yet have confirmation that other medications have been contaminated, but it is important that New Hampshire residents who received these injections be informed and watch closely for any change in their health status possibly related to these drugs.”

For patients who received back injection, symptoms to be aware of include: headache, fever, nausea, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, and signs of stroke such as weakness or numbness in any part of the body or slurred speech.

Patients who received joint injection should report to their provider if they have local symptoms including increased pain, swelling, redness or warmth at the site of the injection.

Patients who had eye surgery should monitor for visual changes, pain, redness or discharge from the eye, and patients who had chest surgery should monitor for chest pain, or drainage from the surgical site.

Patients should contact their healthcare provider if they have any of these signs or symptoms.

Catch up on all previous stories related to this meningitis outbreak:

Steroid Blamed in Meningitis Outbreak Distributed in Merrimack

NH Exposure to Fungus-Laced Steroid Grows

Markey: Compounding Pharmacies 'Fall into a Regulatory Black Hole'

DHHS Confirms 4 Cases in NH Related to Meningitis Outbreak

NH Confirms 2 More Cases of Fungal Meningitis