Florida Man Dies From Genital Gangrene Quite Possibly Fournier's Gangrene

Diabetes Drug Infection Lawsuit News

The loved ones surviving a Florida man who died from genital gangrene are unaware that his diabetes medication was likely the cause

Saturday, December 15, 2018 - According to Fox News, "An 84-year-old Army veteran in Jacksonville, Florida, died after he reportedly developed a gangrene infection in his genitals. York Spratling, began living at the Consulate Health Care of Jacksonville in December 2016 after his health began to worsen and he was unable to live alone, The Naples Daily News reported. "

"Investigators later concluded the man's death was "due to inadequate supervision and medical neglect," The Naples Daily News reported" in the Fox News article. The Florida nursing home entrusted to care for the man is being accused of ignoring the condition and the accompanying stench of rotting flesh until it was too late. The deceased was rushed to the local hospital's emergency room in February 2017 and was diagnosed with gangrene of the genitals, thought to be an extremely severe diabetes drug infection.

As tempting as it may be to blame the nursing home for negligence when a patient dies, the recent death may have been caused by a much less obvious source. Fournier's Gangere is a condition caused by certain anti-diabetes drugs classified as sodium-glucose transporters, also known as SGLT2's. Fournier's Gangere is a form of necrosis results in necrotizing fasciitis or tissue death in and around the genital area. The results are disfigurement with genital amputation being the only treatment.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has known about Fournier's Gangrene for some time. Fourniers patients have the need to undergo multiple surgeries to survive and one person had died from Fournier's Gangrene. Each of the patients that the agency identified as having the condition required surgery that resulted in amputation and permanent genital disfigurement. All 12 were taking a form of SGLT2 inhibitor. The Florida man may be the 13th known case of Fournier. Gangrene of the genital area is the signature condition of Fourniers and too rare a condition not to suspect anti-diabetes drugs as being the cause.

The FDA identified the following diabetes drugs as those that were being taken when cases of Fournier's Gangere were reported. Medicinenet.com found that "Brand and generic names of SGLT2 inhibitors and combination products that contain SGLT2 inhibitors include canagliflozin (Invokana), dapagliflozin (Farxiga), empagliflozin (Jardiance), empagliflozin/linagliptin (Glyxambi), empagliflozin/metformin (Synjardy), and dapagliflozin/metformin (Xigduo XR)."

Now that a second death from genital gangrene has occurred to a diabetic patient, this one living in a Florida nursing home, more attention will certainly be placed on monitoring patients under nursing home care for the earliest sign that Fournier's Gangrene could be occurring. Gangere infection is thought to begin when bacteria enter the body through a break in the skin.

As of the time of this writing, no connection has been made to the patient's gangrene and the dangerous diabetes medicine he was taking. The lack of awareness of the connection between diabetes patients and the survivors of those that die from Fournier's Gangrene leave others at risk for contracting the disease.

More Recent Diabetes Drug Infection Lawsuit News:

Lawyers for Fournier's Gangrene

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.