Updated October 18
As you may be aware from news reports, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal and state agencies are investigating a multi-state outbreak of meningitis and fungal infections among patients who received spinal or joint injections of a potentially contaminated steroid known as Methylprednisolone Acetate manufactured by New England Compounding Center (NECC).
We want to reassure our patients that Harvard Vanguard does not purchase or use this NECC spine/joint injection product.
According to the CDC website, none of the contaminated lots of this product were delivered to any Massachusetts facility.
On October 6, NECC issued a voluntary recall of all NECC products and Harvard Vanguard has stopped the use of all NECC products.
On October 15, out of an abundance of caution, the FDA advised medical providers to follow-up with all patients who were administered any injectable product from NECC after May 21, 2012 to be on the lookout for any signs of possible infection, and if so, to contact their physician.
Following these guidelines, we have identified a very small number of patients of our Kenmore ophthalmology practice who received NECC’s Triamcinolone Acetate intraocular (eye) steroid injection during this timeframe. While the FDA is not aware of any identified cases of infections associated with this NECC intraocular steroid product, we are contacting these patients to educate them about possible signs of eye infection (visual changes, pain, redness or discharge from the eye) for which they should call their Harvard Vanguard ophthalmologist’s office.
We understand our eye surgery hospital partner, Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI), used injectable prefilled syringes for anesthetic eye block from NECC. While the FDA is not aware of any infections associated with this eye block medication, MEEI is in sending letters to patients given this product to alert them to signs of possible infection and to advise them to contact their ophthalmologist if they experience such symptoms. Please see the MEEI website for more information.
At Harvard Vanguard, the safety and well-being of our patients is our primary concern. Should you have any questions or concerns at all, please call your physician’s office for assistance.
