Tennessee Injury Law Center
An updated article in The Tennessean reveals that the meningitis outbreak at the Saint Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgery Clinic was caused by a fungus.
Some eleven patients have contracted a strain of fungal meningitis – all of them received epidural steroid injections at the Outpatient Neurosurgery Clinic between July 30 and September 20, 2012.
There is some evidence that pain-relieving injections themselves may be to blame in this case. The Tennessee Department of Health has indicated that the injections have been recalled and that patients in more than a dozen other states could be affected. One patient in another state allegedly contracted meningitis after receiving a epidural steroid injection.
Fungal meningitis is not contagious. Symptoms of fungal meningitis usually are seen within 7 to 28 days after exposure and may include headache, fever, numbness or slurring speech. A person who has been exposed to an epidural steroid injection at the Saint Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgery Clinic who is exhibiting these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.
If the injected product included a fungal contaminant patients injured or killed because of the exposure may have a claim against the manufacturer of the product. Tennessee law prohibits manufacturers from selling defective or unreasonably dangerous products. It is possible that these patients or their families may have other legal rights as well.
The Law Offices of John Day has been contacted by one person who may have a claim arising out of this matter. If you or a loved one had one or more lumbar epidural steroid injections at Nashville’s Saint Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgery Center between July 30 and September 20, 2012 please contact John Day for a free consultation. John can be reached at 615.742.4880 or 866.812.8787. You may also complete a Contact Form and we will call you.