Burkholderia cepacia outbreaks have been found to be linked to several medical products over the last two years including stool softening products such as Diocto, cleansing cloths, and now I.V. flush syringes.
B. cepacia is a bacterial infection that tends to hit people who are already ill, the hardest. Sufferers of cystic fibrosis, pneumonia or other lung conditions tend to have the most difficulty recovering from the bacterial infection. The bacteria is resistant to antibiotics, and it makes it extremely difficult to treat patients who have been affected by the outbreak. Initially, there have been 13 instances of people who have reportedly developed the bacterial infection after being exposed to I.V. flush syringes in New Jersey.
The recall dates back to October 2015 when a national recall was issued by the manufacturer, Nurse Assist. The recall included all non-expired flush syringes from the Texas-based manufacturer, and the recall was expanded in November 2016 when over 50 cases of B. cepacia infection were reported across the country.
B. cepacia is an intense infection that affects the lungs. Signs and symptoms of the infection include shortness of breath, wheezing, persistent coughing, congestion and high-grade fever. There have been some developments in the treatment of this bacterial infection, particularly where patients with cystic fibrosis are concerned, but the overall outcome of the infection is hard to pinpoint. Mortality rates are quite high, especially in people with compromised immune systems. As much as 35% in some cases have died from infection due to B. cepacia.
The Food and Drug Administration urged health care providers to cease the use of these flush syringes immediately. However, home care patients may have some in their possession, even now. It is important to check the lot numbers and expiry dates of your flush syringes if you have any in your possession and report any instances of infection or the signs and symptoms associated with the infection as soon as possible to the Food and Drug Administration and see out your healthcare professional. Nursing homes and pharmacies were urged to check their supplies as well. There is an ongoing investigation and lawsuit related to this contamination by a national law firm because of the high incidents of infection.
Stool softeners and cleansing cloths were part of recalls over the last two years as well; these products were found to have come in contact with contaminated water at the manufacturing plants and they were recalled several times from a variety of distributors across the United States, as well as Canada, El Salvador, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Mexico, Australia, Ireland, Honduras, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
Distribution on this mass scale leaves the industry exposed to many outbreaks, and it is vital to report any concerns and incidents of infection to track the outbreaks. If you need more information about this or any other medical product recall, you can visit the Food and Drug Administration website.
Burkholderia Cepacia Infections are Serious and Can be Life Threatening
The Hastings Law Firm is interviewing potential cases involving tainted Nurse Assist Flush I.V., Sage Cleansing Clothes and Rugby Diocto Syrup across all 50 states. There are currently over 60 cases of infectious outbreaks linked to these products. If you or a loved one has contracted a B. Cepacia bacterial infection from exposure to tainted medications or medical products contact our attorneys immediately.
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