Illinois health officials say they're investigating reports that five patients developed abscesses after receiving potentially contaminated steroid injections at a southern Illinois clinic.
The Department of Public Health says all five patients received injections at Southern Illinois Health Care’s Logan Primary Care clinic in Herrin. Dr. Jeff Parks with Logan Primary Care says they believe the injections occurred between December 2012 and April 24, 2013. The steroid in question, methylprednisolone, was produced by Main Street Family Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Newbern, Tennessee. The drug has since been pulled from the clinic. Dr. Parks says it is used to treat inflammation such as those associated with sinus infections or sore joints.
The Food and Drug Administration says it's investigating a total of seven reports from patients who received steroid injections from the Main Street Family Pharmacy. Two of those cases are outside of Illinois. The steroid is the same drug at the center of last year's deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis, caused by contaminated injections from a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy. Health officials say no reports of meningitis have been reported.
SIH is in the process of contacting some 2,000 patients of the Logan Primary Care Clinic. Dr. Parks says its not unheard of to see an isolated abscess with this steroid but not the number the clinic has experienced. Anyone who may have received a methylprednisolone injection and has concerns can contact the Logan Primary Care or their physician.
