Miami Man Sues Hospital After Botched Injection Made Him Blind
MIAMI (CBS4) -A Miami man says he suffered blindness in one eye after being injected with a contaminated drug, and now he is suing.
Antonio Salgado, 79, was one of 12 elderly patients who say they were blinded by a prescription drug called Avastin.
A photo taken shortly after the botched injection shows his eye with a milky glaze over it.
"He couldn't open his eye. When we tried to open his eye, it was already white. It was completely white, we couldn't see anything," said daughter Teresita Salgado.
Salgado's attorney, Philip Gold says Salgado had seven previous Avastin injections without a problem, but that the 8th one was contaminated.
"It contained what we believe to be two strains of strep," said Gold.
Doctors have told Salgado that they don't know if the blindness is a permanent condition.
Salgado is suing the drug manufacturer as well as Leon Medical Centers, the clinic where he was injected, claiming negligence.
Avastin's manufacturer Genentech did not comment, saying they do not comment on pending litigation.
Infupharma, the local compounding pharmacy named in the suit, released this statement:
"We are fully cooperating with the state and federal authorities and the investigation and identification of the causes of the problem. Every single state and federal agency that has anything to do with drug safety, has inspected our pharmacy, taken samples and etc. In addition to that, we had the pharmacy inspected by a certified independent lab. We compound numerous medications, and the problems we have experienced are all limited to one particular drug; and to be more precise, one particular lot. We have voluntarily agreed to cease compounding this particular drug until such time, as we have been able to identify the cause of the problem. We have notified the state department of health in writing, that we would do so. This investigation is still ongoing and we need to let the process work its way through. "
