8th February 2007

Girl Dies of Bacterial Meningitis, maybe related to Cochlear Implant?

posted in Cochlear implant, Deaf, Hearing Loss, Technology, deaf culture |

Here’s another story that will add fuel to the fire about Cochlear Implant debate:

Girl Dies of Bacterial Meningitis

Doctors said bacterial meningitis is not contagious. They believe it may have been caused by Katie’s cochlear implant. They said it could have been prevented with a vaccination.”I had tried and they were always out,” Engle said. “After going back several times, I forgot about it.”

I gotta really ask the hard hitting questions:

Who said that bacterial meningitis is related to CI?
When did she have her CI surgery?
Why was it so difficult to get the vaccination?
Why did the doctor(s) go ahead with CI surgery when she didn’t have vaccination?
Did the doctors know or didn’t know she had her vaccination?

I hope this is a lesson learn “the hard way” for all prospective CI patients and their doctors. But I would say in this case protocols were not followed!

I know the protocols because I had all my shots before the CI surgery!

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 8th, 2007 at 9:31 am and is filed under Cochlear implant, Deaf, Hearing Loss, Technology, deaf culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

There are currently 14 responses to “Girl Dies of Bacterial Meningitis, maybe related to Cochlear Implant?”

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  1. 1 On February 8th, 2007, Dianrez said:

    This is a known risk of the CI implantation surgery. It has sometimes been associated with certain models of CI’s; certain techniques of the surgery and of the post surgical period related to self-care..

    You are right, there are protocols that should have been followed. The truth is these do not guarantee a perfect result every time, and the risk still remains to some extent.

    More information can be obtained by going to the medical library and looking up the statistics on current CI surgeries and obtaining follow-up data.

    Personally I favor a very conservative approach: surgery should be avoided if there are equivalent medical or technological alternatives available, and if it is not lifesaving.

  2. 2 On February 8th, 2007, mishkazena said:

    I was surprised that this girl wasn’t vaccinated for meningitis prior to her CI surgery . But perhaps her CI was performed long before the relationship between the meningitis and CI was discovered. It’s a senseless tragedy if the meningitis was caused indirectly by her C.I.

  3. 3 On February 8th, 2007, Jarom M. said:

    The vaccination is optional. But it is recommended that the patients to be get it done before the procedure just to be safe but many patients opted to not do that. Bacterial Meningitis is VERY low risk. If the person became infected with BM and seek medical attention immediately, usually the chance to recover is in their 90’s.

  4. 4 On February 8th, 2007, Jamie Berke said:

    I am stunned. She did not die from getting a CI, but from the failure to get meningitis shots before getting the CI.

    It has been known for awhile now that people with cochlear implants
    are prone to bacterial meningitis. That is why the shots are needed
    before having the CI surgery.

    However, I wonder how complete and accurate the news article is. My questions are similar to your questions.

    I did a quick Google for the information and found this FDA item:
    http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2003/603_implant.html
    It was big news in 2003, the year that the word got out about the
    risk of meningitis. Ever since then, the shots have been recommended.

    When she got her implant is important information missing from the article. Was it prior to 2003? Because the mother says that she had tried to get her child vaccinated, does that mean she was already aware of the risk? How can you forget about something that is potentially life-threatening? Her poor mother must be wracked with guilt.

    If this mother tries to sue over her daughter’s death, does she have a case? On the one hand, the surgeons should not have gone ahead without first verifying that the child had had the shots. On the other hand, it can be argued that the mother knew about it prior to the surgery and could have halted surgery until the child got the needed shots.

  5. 5 On February 8th, 2007, IamMine said:

    I am very surprised that they didn’t give her vaccation prior to CI.

    Is it an “optional” shot??

    I, too, got the shot prior to my CI surgery.

    This is just awful, awful, awful!!!!!!!

  6. 6 On February 8th, 2007, MM said:

    Try Grumpy old Deafies blog, she started the rumours…

  7. 7 On February 8th, 2007, Billy Koch said:

    Definitely so! Everyone should always follow through and look into covering all their bases when proceeding through any kind of surgeries or whatsoever. Not just CI.

  8. 8 On February 8th, 2007, A friend said:

    My friend died of bacterial meningitis right after having CI few years ago. His doctor kept denying and said it had nothing to do with CI which i doubted very much. What a shame!!

  9. 9 On February 8th, 2007, Deafie said:

    The mother and the girl could have gone to any other doctor to get the shot if the girl’s CI center was out of them. Really that simple. Sad.

    I have a cochlear implant myself and I made sure to get the shot. I was prepared to go to a family doctor or any other doctor if my CI center was out of the vaccine. Fortunately they had the vaccine so I didn’t have to go elsewhere, but I was fully prepared to go elsewhere to get it!

    So, in this case, it is the parents’ fault for ‘forgetting’ to get it after several tries at the clinic. No excuse here!

  10. 10 On February 8th, 2007, mishkazena said:

    No, the mother doesn’t have a case because it was due to her neglience that she didn’t get her daughter vaccinated. She was already aware of the role of CI and meningitis.

  11. 11 On February 9th, 2007, deafmom said:

    I was told that the girl had a CI with a positioner which was a greater risk factor of meningitis and she needed vaccinations to reduce the meningitis risk. This type of CI was discontinued a few years ago but the girl already had it. CDC recommended all children with CI to receive vaccines immediately when the CI with a positioner caused meningitis in several children.

    Check the FDA webpage:
    http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/safety/020606-cochlear.html

  12. 12 On February 25th, 2007, B. Taylor said:

    I do not believe anyone wear cochlear implant. I lost hearing due to spinal meningitis and penumonia at 2 years old. My both ear already burst in ear drum.
    Cochlear Implant still not safe to human…why? Lightning would strike metal magnet, swimming still shock from electronic, no football, no basketball, cant hold metal magnet device in head, danger bacteria meningitis. I rather to have normal Deaf life. God give us gift of Deaf Life.
    Thanks
    BT

  13. 13 On February 25th, 2007, jsg said:

    I have a CI. I can swim, I can wear in deep freezing temperature, and I use an umbrella in the rain (we get a lot of lightening here in Rochester but that doesn’t faze the CI population).

    Just because you don’t believe in CI doesn’t give you the right to tell others not to wear a CI.

    To have a CI or not to have a CI is each individual private decision.

    I have a CI and it works for me and I have no regrets. I had all my shots and I chose Cochlear brand because the other brands are known to cause bacteria menigitis.

  14. 14 On May 9th, 2008, Stewart from minnesota said:

    Hi all my name is Stewart I lost my hearing because of bacterial meningitis in nov of 07 (nissariea rare form) and was fast tracted for CI’s in both ears. The first @ the U of M 2 do both ears in the same surgery and my surgen does at least 1 CI a week.. cause of the damage and worry of ocofication …. and could not get the vacc. Cause it did 2 much damage 1st time around and my body would not of been able 2 handle it ….. but we went on as planed and my chances are over 80 % of gettin it again ….. I would not make it thru a 2nd bout of meningitis so just am super careful when I’m out of the house we had an outbreak of over 35 cases in mlps. and I think 4 or 5 deaths in a span of acouple mnths….. it is a very scary thing 2 go thru and still deal with it all but it was worth the risk 4 me and my family and hearing is back 2 at least 75% compared to 0% for 7 mnths …. It is very sad 2 hear that she died but to me it was worth the risk commin from and living in the hearing world… it was the only choice I WAS given thru all of it and I went for it…. head fist like I always do….. it has been a long road and still will be but the good out wayed the risk…..

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