Birmingham IV Infections Update

The Alabama Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been investigating the outbreak of Serratia marcescens in five hospitals around Birmingham and one in Prattville. It is linked to bags of TPN, total parenteral nutrition -- a supplement given intravenously to patients too sick to eat -- mixed by Meds IV and sent to those hospitals in January, February and March.

A failure in the sterilization process at a Birmingham pharmacy appears to have caused the infection that sickened 19 people in Alabama hospitals, nine of whom died, the Alabama state health department said Thursday. Investigators found exact matches of the bacteria on a water faucet, a container and a device used to mix intravenous nutritious supplements at Meds IV. But there are still questions about how the contamination occurred.  "We've identified the weak point in the chain where infection occurred," State Health Officer Don Williamson said. "We're now trying to figure out exactly what happened."

Samples of the bacteria were taken from Meds IV's compounding room, grown out and run through a genetic fingerprinting process. The same strain found in the TPN and in 12 patients turned up on the water tap and mixing equipment. Samples weren't available from six patients and one is still in process, the health department said.

S. marcescens also grew from samples taken from a bag of amino acids used to make the TPN, but that culture hasn't been fingerprinted yet. Investigators suspect it will match and was tainted at the pharmacy.
Williamson said Meds IV staff used tap water to wash the mixing vessel before rinsing it with sterile water. Then the amino acid solution, which was mixed from a powder and sterile water, was also contaminated by touching the equipment. That amino acid mixture is supposed to be run through a filter small enough to catch the bacteria, but for some reason, that didn't work. At this point, he said, it's not clear what went wrong, and whether the problem lies in the process itself, a flaw in the filtering equipment or in human error.

Investigators are working with the Alabama Board of Pharmacy and federal Food and Drug Administration to find out more about what went wrong. Williamson said investigators plan to look at patients who received TPN in those six hospitals but did not show signs of infection and is working with the FDA to get samples of other recalled products made by Meds IV. Fortunately, it does not appear that there is any additional contamination.

We are currently investigating this recall and are available for a  free consultation regarding a Meds IV lawsuit. Call 1-866-515-8880 (toll free) or email booths@pittmandutton.com

Birmingham Area IV Bag Contamination Update

Nine people died and 10 more were sickened in six Alabama hospitals after receiving IV packs filled with liquid nutritional supplements that were contaminated. Inspectors have identified the contaminate as the bacteria Serratia marcescens, organisms that can cause infection in several sites on the body including the urinary tract, respiratory tract, eyes, and in wounds.

In this case the bacteria entered the bloodstream due to the contaminated IV fluids. The bacteria can cause pneumonia and meningitis, and the infections are often fatal.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified six Alabama hospitals where infections were confirmed - Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Shelby Baptist Medical Center, Cooper Green Mercy Hospital, Medical West, Prattville Baptist Hospital and Select Specialty Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital that operates within Trinity Medical Center.

In addition to the deaths, a total of 19 people were confirmed to be infected. A Birmingham pharmacy, Meds IV, was reported as being the supplier. According to officials, the contaminated bags have been removed off the shelves and the threat of injury or more wrongful deaths to more Alabama hospital patients has been contained.

Florida Judge Rules in Plaintiffs' Favor Against Builders in Chinese Drywall Suit

Judge Glenn Kelley of the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Fla., said that builders and installers can only be held liable for “negligence” in faulty drywall cases if they had actual or implied notice of a defect in the Chinese manufactured drywall at the time of construction. Plaintiffs must prove that the builders and others should have known the drywall was defective.

While the ruling affects only Palm Beach County, Plaintiffs hope it will sway court decisions being made across Florida and the country, particularly in the MDL out of New Orleans, which consolidated federal drywall cases brought by thousands of aggrieved homeowners.

During the devastating hurricane seasons of 2004-2005 combined with the large home construction boom, drywall, which is gypsum pressed between paper and used in walls and ceilings, was imported from China to fill a domestic shortage. A growing number of homeowners complain of egg-like odors and corrosion that tarnishes metals and causes appliances such as air conditioners to fail. The government recommends consumers remove any possibly faulty drywall.

While several court settlements and decisions have been reached, the role and liability of home-building companies and the distributors of the drywall  remain unclear. Last year, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin, one of the biggest suppliers of the problematic wallboard, along with suppliers and commercial liability insurers, agreed to remove and replace drywall they made and sold, as well as all electrical wiring, gas tubing and appliances, at 300 homes in four states. That pilot program is still being implemented, but not quick enough for the homeowners.