Patients and Health Providers Can Work Together to Prevent Further Meningitis Outbreak

GLENVIEW, Ill., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from the American Academy of Pain Medicine:

In light of the meningitis outbreak that is now threatening 23 states, the physicians of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) echo the advice of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and urge anyone who has been treated with spinal injections for back pain within the last 4 weeks to contact their health provider if they begin having new or worsening symptoms, such as: fever, new or worsening headache, nausea, or new neurological difficulties.  We also encourage patients to return calls that they might receive from their physician, hospital, or clinic where they received their injections. 

"Communications between physicians and patients are vital in the effort to prevent further outbreak," Dr. Martin Grabois, President of the Academy said.   

"We urge patients who have received these treatments to err on the side of caution if they have new or worsening symptoms since their injection.  They should contact the medical expert, health clinic or hospital where they received their injection, even if the symptoms are very mild in nature," Dr. Grabois added. 

These steroid injections treatments are helpful and have offered hope and relief for many people with pain, but with any medical procedure there are risks involved.  "We are thankful for the efforts of the CDC and FDA to make all health professionals and the public aware of the situation and to a rapid response across the health provider community that is sure to save lives," Grabois said.  "As physicians, our hearts grieve for those who are and have been affected by this situation and as the leading organization for multimodal, multidisciplinary pain medicine, we seek to do all we can to support this effort.   

About AAPM
The American Academy of Pain Medicine is the premiere medical association for 2,600 pain physicians and their treatment teams.  Now in its 28th year of service, the Academy's mission is to optimize the health of patients in pain and eliminate it as a major public health problem by advancing the practice and specialty of pain medicine through education, training, advocacy and research. Information is available on the Academy's website at http://www.painmed.org.

SOURCE American Academy of Pain Medicine