Medication removed, replaced at S&W facilities

October 05, 2012, 5:00 pm by Phil Schoch

Scott & White facilities have made a preemptive move after being made aware that certain batches of a medication used across the country in managing joint pain may cause meningitis after spinal epidural injection.

The medication — methylprednisolone acetate — is a steroid injection used for chronic pain. There have been no reported cases in Texas, Scott & White said.

"Scott & White did not receive any of the identified contaminated methylprednisolone acetate batches. As a precaution, all of this medication from the manufacturer has been removed and replaced at Scott & White facilities. The manufacturer, as a precaution, has also recalled additional medication batches for testing, although no cases of contamination have been seen in these other batches. At this time, we believe Scott & White patients are at low risk for meningitis related to spinal epidural injections,” a Scott & White spokesperson said.

Scott & White anesthesia pain clinics in Temple, Killeen, Waco, and the interventional radiology department at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, routinely used methylprednisolone acetate for epidural and joint steroid injection, the spokesperson said.

As a precaution Scott & White patients who received an epidural spinal injection of a steroid medication at these locations between June 29 and Oct. 3 of this year should be on the alert for signs of meningitis. The symptoms include: new headache, stiff neck, fatigue, blurred vision, and fever, the spokesperson said.

"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to test the involved steroid. If we are notified by the FDA there has been contamination in any of the medication, we will contact patients directly who may have received the steroid,” the spokesperson said.

Patients who have developed meningitis symptoms and suspect they may be at risk should contact their primary care physician immediately. Additional information can be obtained at S&W’s website at sw.org or by calling 254.724.7037.