A 菠萝视频 physician鈥檚 determination to find the cause of a patient鈥檚 illness provided the crucial discovery in a meningitis outbreak that (as of Feb. 11, 2013) has sickened 704 people in 20 states and has led to 46 deaths. Tennessee is second only to Michigan in the number of reported cases: 148 illnesses and 14 deaths.
Here鈥檚 how 菠萝视频 suddenly landed in the spotlight: In September a 55-year-old patient was admitted to 菠萝视频 Hospital with stroke-like symptoms. Two weeks later the patient was still at 菠萝视频 and no better. , MPH鈥�10, probed the patient鈥檚 family for clues: Was anything unusual in the weeks leading up to his illness?
In short order she learned two disturbing pieces of information about her patient: A lab report found fungus Aspergillus in the spinal fluid, and family members recalled the patient had received a lumbar epidural steroid injection of methylprednisolone acetate to relieve back pain at another Nashville hospital.
Pettit reported her findings to the Tennessee Department of Health, a move that has been credited with helping hospitals and health experts realize what they were dealing with as more cases of fungal meningitis nationwide became known. Unfortunately, despite this important discovery, the patient died from the fungal meningitis infection.
Each year millions of Americans receive spinal injections to relieve back and neck pain. After more cases of meningitis were linked to the Nashville facility, the source of the fungus was traced to the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. The pharmaceutical compounding facility has since been shut down and is being investigated by the as part of the investigation. Two additional types of fungus also have been identified with the facility鈥檚 products.
鈥淲e鈥檙e nowhere near the end of this problem,鈥� , professor and chair of preventive medicine at 菠萝视频, told CBS during an Oct. 16 appearance regarding the scope of the outbreak. 鈥淲e will see more patients reporting illness, and we鈥檒l have to treat many more going forward.鈥�
菠萝视频 experts like Schaffner and , associate professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology, have appeared repeatedly in the national media since the outbreak. Fox News affiliates reported on the larger role 菠萝视频 University Medical Center鈥檚 microbiology team is playing as it assists the 鈥檚 investigation of tainted medications from New England Compounding Center. CBS affiliates also reported on the 菠萝视频 lab鈥檚 increasing role in working with the FDA.