The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a new warning that cochlear implant patients make sure they get vaccinated against bacterial meningitis, a potentially deadly infection causing inflammation of the meninges, or lining of the brain. Several years ago a meningitis scare nearly halted the miraculous forward march of cochlear implant technology, as researchers struggled to find the cause of a rash of meningitis cases among children who had received implants. It was determined that a small rubber wedge used by surgeons to position the electrodes in the cochlea most likely led to higher incidences of infection, including meningitis. The positioner was only used with Advanced Bionics implants and the company quickly changed its surgical procedure so that the positioner was no longer needed. There still is some risk of meningitis infections, but it can be dramatically alleviated by ensuring patients are fully vaccinated. The FDA issued the new warning after two cochlear implant patients died from infections. Neither was fully vaccinated, and one likely died because of the lack of vaccination, the FDA said. It also noted a survey of cochlear implanted children revealed nearly half did not know whether their children had been fully vaccinated. It is advising healthcare providers to ensure their patients have proper vaccinations.
Posted by David at 04:11 PM on Oct 24, 2007 in COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
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