CDC Launches Clinician Consultation Service for Fungal Meningitis Cases

Premier Inc. is reporting today that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a new email and telephone-based Clinicians Consultation Network service to assist clinicians treating patients who received injections with the contaminated steroid medication. In addition, CDC is alerting clinicians of two unusual clinical complications - epidural abscess and arachnoiditis - among a portion of patients undergoing treatment for meningitis associated with injections of a contaminated steroid medication, preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate.

Beginning on Nov. 6, CDC is establishing a volunteer Clinicians Consultation Network of experts in fungal disease treatment and management to assist physicians who are directly involved in the treatment of patients associated with the current outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections. Through this service, doctors who are treating patients will be able to consult by telephone or email with one of a group of participating infectious disease medical experts. To access the service, physicians should call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) and then select the appropriate prompts (e.g., "1" for English, "1" for Clinician). A CDC-INFO call agent will verify each physician's role in direct patient management. After this verification, the calling physician will be referred to the Clinicians Consultation Network. The Network consultants have entered into volunteer agreements with CDC to provide this consultation service to treating physicians. There is no charge for the consultation. The consultants will report their findings to CDC, which may provide valuable information for the response to the outbreak. Operating hours for the service are the same as those for CDC-INFO: 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday ET, except federal holidays. For questions about the Clinicians Consultation Network, contact CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).

During the course of this investigation, the CDC has worked closely with a group of fungal infectious disease experts who provided their individual input to help CDC develop interim guidance and other information about clinical aspects of the outbreak, including patient management and treatment. The guidance documents have been updated regularly as CDC and its partners have learned more about the outbreak; the latest versions are available on CDC's outbreak-related Clinician Guidance webpage at: http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/clinicians/index.html.

The CDC has also advised that healthcare providers involved in the treatment of these patients consult with an infectious disease medical specialist because of the diagnostic and clinical challenges presented by these fungal infections.
CDC has recently become aware of reports of epidural abscess and arachnoiditis among a number of patients undergoing treatment for fungal meningitis associated with injections of contaminated steroid. Spinal epidural abscesses are characterized by inflammation and a collection of pus around the spine, sometimes resulting in swelling of the infected areas (though several recently reported patients with this condition had no detectable swelling). Arachnoiditis is caused by inflammation of the arachnoid, one of the membranes that surround and protect the nerves of the spinal cord. Both conditions are normally rare but serious disorders that require prompt medical attention. Most of these early reports have been for patients in Michigan and Tennessee, but other states have reported patients with these conditions as well. CDC is working with clinicians and public health officials to obtain more information and refine its clinical guidance as needed.

For additional information about the outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections, see the CDC's website at: http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis.html.

Source: Premier, Inc.