The Annals of Medicine Examines the Relationship Between Certain Diabetic Drugs and Fournier's Gangrene

Diabetes Drug Infection Lawsuit News

The genital flesh-eating disease's link to popular diabetic drugs is the cause of concern among government health officials in the US

Wednesday, January 8, 2020 - Fournier's Gangrene is a condition that can best be described as the flesh-eating disease of the genitals. FG usually begins in the scrotum, penis and perineum region, the area of the genitals between the anus and scrotum in men and anus and vagina in women. FG is a rapidly progressing condition and an accurate diagnosis is essential to saving a patient's life. About half of the cases of FG die within 3 months which is also the approximate length of time they must remain in the hospital. Patients with FG are admitted to the hospital immediately, usually with a fever and pain in the genital region, and treated with aggressive surgery and drainage. Antibiotics are prescribed administered intravenously as well as by packing them into the wound. Most FG patients must endure multiple surgeries as the bacteria spreads and consumes genital tissue. Diabetes drug infection attorneys offer a no obligation, free consultation to individuals and families in the United States.

Of great concern to experts and scientists is the link between cases of Fournier's gangrene and people who take a type of diabetes medication called sodium-glucose blockers (SGLT2). Diabetic patients that do not wish to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin may elect to take an SGLT2 drug to redirect sugars out of the blood through the urine. In recent years, 55 cases of Fournier's gangrene were detected by the FDA in diabetic patients taking SGLT2 blocker drugs.

According to the Annals of Medicine, "The FDA identified 55 unique cases of FG in patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors between 1 March 2013 and 31 January 2019. The patients ranged in age from 33 to 87 years; 39 were men, and 16 were women." As a result, drug companies have been forced to update their SGLT2 drug warnings to include the possibility of contracting genital eating disease. Scientists also point out that an increase in cases of Fournier's gangrene could be due to diabetic medication and other medication that weakens the body's immune system allowing the usually controllable Streptococcus bacteria to spread. Weakened immune systems are also being blamed for the world-wide outbreak of necrotizing fasciitis a.k.a., the flesh-eating disease that the world has experienced in 2018 and 2019.

An article published in the Annals of Internal Medicine addressed the correlation between SGLT2 diabetic drugs and Fournier's gangrene. "Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has been associated with Fournier gangrene (FG), a rare urologic emergency characterized by necrotizing infection of the external genitalia, perineum, and perianal region," according to the publication. The 55 patients reported by the FDA all had were treated immediately with surgery to remove dead tissues. 8 patients experienced diabetic ketoacidosis, 9 developed sepsis or septic shock, and four had damaged kidneys. Eight patients required a colostomy, "2 patients developed necrotizing fasciitis of a lower extremity that required amputation, and 1 patient required a lower-extremity bypass procedure because of gangrenous toes. Three patients died."

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.