An urgent circular ordering that a medicine administered by
injection and used to combat bacterial infections be withdrawn from
use following the death of a patient being treated with the drug
has been issued by the Chinese Ministry of Health.
A six-year-old girl from Harbin, the capital of northeast
China's Heilongjiang Province, reportedly died after
receiving a dose of the antibiotic called clindamycin phosphate
glucose.
The girl, identified as Liu Sichen, had an intravenous injection
at about 2 PM on July 24 for what appeared to be a common cold but
she developed further symptoms including a high fever within 20
minutes, according to Sun Pengli, director of the Pharmaceuticals
Side Effects Monitoring Center of Harbin City on Friday.
The injection given to the youngster is known to have been
produced by Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co, a
subsidiary of Shanghai Worldbest Co Ltd., and carried the batch
number 06062602.
The patient was transferred to the State Farm General Hospital
of Heilongjiang Province for further medical assistance but she
remained in a coma. She was transferred again to the No.2 Hospital
of the Harbin Medical Sciences University but died on the night of
July 24 despite the efforts of medical staff.?
"Based on all the information we've gathered, a preliminary
judgment can be made that the girl died from the injection of
clindamycin phosphate glucose produced by the Anhui Huayuan
Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Co," said Sun Pengli.
The Ministry of Health has ordered that all batches of the drug
produced in the past two months by the firm should immediately be
suspended from use.?
An increasing number of patients from provinces and regions
including Qinghai, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang and Shandong have complained about becoming unwell
after having the injection. Their symptoms have ranged from chest
problems, kidney pains, bellyache, diarrhea, nausea and
vomiting?
Fake or bad drugs have killed many people in China in recent
years and raised questions about drug safety. The government
recently fined and revoked the license of the Qiqihar No.2
Pharmaceutical Co Ltd when a drug they manufactured to treat
gastric disorders killed 11 people and actually turned out to be
bogus.
While ordering that an inventory be made of any stockpile of the
bacterial injections and all unused doses be sealed, the ministry
circular also asked medical and health organizations not to
purchase anymore of the medicine.?
The circular also told medical organizations to arrange for
medical staff to closely monitor patients who've had the
injections.
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2006)