Patient Dies, 2 Critical after Injections at Hospital near Tokyo

Saitama, March 12 (Jiji Press)–A male leukemia patient between 10 and 19 died and two other young male patients are unconscious after spinal injections of anticancer drugs at a hospital in the city of Saitama, near Tokyo, hospital officials have said. The Saitama Prefectural Children’s Medical Center is consulting police in view of the possibility that the incident resulted from a criminal or accidental cause, the officials said Wednesday. Of the three patients, one died in February, while a boy under 10 and the other patient, who is between 10 and 19, are in critical condition. The three received the injections between January and October last year. Neurological symptoms emerged soon after, including limb paralysis and respiratory problems. Spinal fluid samples from the three have been found to contain vincristine, an anticancer drug, which causes central nervous system damage even in tiny amounts and is therefore prohibited from being used in spinal injections. According to the hospital, an internal committee reviewing the incident found that pharmacists prepared the injections inside the hospital on the mornings when the treatments were given. Records indicate no procedural irregularities. “We are genuinely sorry for the patients and their families. We take the matter seriously,” Akira Oka, head of the hospital, told a press conference. “We’ll work to determine the cause in cooperation with public authorities.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]