Bacterial Contamination
This what was posted on a few weblogs. Is this new to me? ..naah.. It happens, but was more or less new to me, was the reactions on the bodybuilding fora. But first the news how it was posted on the web.
Andrew Johnson, a personal trainer at the Fitness First gym in York, died unexpectedly at the age of 34 years old on February 22, 2015. An inquest determined that he died of a heart attack that resulted from a massive infection in his heart. In the absence of any other obvious causes, the use of anabolic steroids was the only thing left to blame.
Bacterial endocarditis Coroner Jonathan Leach issued a verdict of “accidental death” during the inquest at New Earswick Folk Hall on February 16, 2016. Since Johnson was a bodybuilder known to use anabolic steroids to build and maintain his muscular physique, the inquest examined the role steroids may have played in his death.
Consultant pathologist Andrew Clarke concluded that Johnson died because he failed to wipe the rubber stopper of a vial of injectable anabolic steroids with a sterile alcohol prep pad. Clarke speculated that the outside of the stopper was contaminated with bacteria and puncturing the stopper with a needle could have introduced the bacteria into the injectable steroid solution. An injection from this vial effectively introduced the bacteria into his body.
The infectious endocarditis was caused by clostridium limosum, a bacteria widely found in soil and feces. The stopper could have been contaminated by something as simple as touching it with a dirty finger.
“There was no form of sterilizing swab, which was unusual given all the other paraphernalia there. Although he was using sterile needles, there was no mechanism of cleansing the vial or the rubber cap to the vial of liquid he was injecting himself with. It is most likely the cap got infected…
“If it had been diagnosed, it would have been treatable. The problem is that when an organism grows through the conducting tissue of the heart it interrupts the conducting mechanism of the heart and stops the natural beating and death is instant.”
The coroner’s verdict suggested that Johnson was careless with proper injection procedures. However, the testimony of Johnson’s mother and girlfriend contradicted this portrayal. They testified that Johnson was “fastidious” about proper hygiene and injecting procedures and always used sterile needles and safe injecting equipment.
Sterile alcohol prep pads
Clarke recognized that Johnson meticulously organized his sterile injecting paraphernalia. But in spite of Johnson’s apparent attention to safe injecting procedures, investigators were unable to find any sterile alcohol prep pads in his home. Based on the absence of the wipes, Clarke concluded the infectious endocarditis was the result of a contaminated intramuscular injection of steroids.
On the discussion-forums you can find many comments on this news, and it clearly shows, some members know some relevant facts, others don’t and simple deny the facts:
**“Wow. What a load of bull shit. Especially considering alcohol swabs hardly kill anything unless you rub the area for a minute then let it dry a full minute. And lets be honest, none of us do that. I wipe it down, let it dry for a bit and draw and shoot. With that guys logic we should all drop dead of a heart infection any time now.”
**“Wow! The claim does sound a little out there, but I guess any things possible.”
**“Would the BA in the compound not kill or keep any bacteria from forming inside the vial?
I question the circumstances myself too. Seems. . . Sensationalistic?”
Questions..many questions…
These are some of the question we had, while writing our book “Underground Anabolics.” That’s why we decided to analyze all the 24 UGL samples on CFU’s, and 4 of them contained a high level of bacteria. CFU stands for "Colony Forming Units", and is simply the number of bacteria in a sample. Each bacterium can form a colony, and is therefore called a "CFU"!
But more important:
For our book UNDERGROUND ANABOLICS we wanted a sample from Dorian’s new line ProChem Laboratories. I was able to get a vial from a bodybuilder that he had used twice. I thought 6 ml would be sufficient, so I sent the used ampoule with the rest of the samples to the laboratory for analysis. The lab ran all tests and the used vial showed a colony forming unit (CFU) from 60.000. Since it was the only used vial we had analyzed, I tried my best to find a new vial of ProChem and I was able to buy a few in the UK, via a board-member. We sent this new vial in for a CFU test and this sample was not contaminated (see reports).
Why do I write down this story? I want you to realize that even a very experienced bodybuilder (now competing the masters class) did contaminate one of his vials. Thus be careful, keep your vial in a dark, cool place. When you want to use them, clean the stopper with alcohol, wait some time to allow sterilization. Use a new needle to fill the syringe, when the syringe is filled, take a new needle for the actual injection.
“If the cap was infected, and the oil got infected because of it, why would they not have tested the oil and cap?..If it was such a bad bacteria I'm sure they would have found traces of it in the blamed bottle?...then rather than a theory, they would have conclusive evidence?..just a thought. Could have been bacteria on the skin.”
Of course, Clarke’s hypothesis would have been conclusively affirmed or disproved if investigators had actually tested the vial in question for bacterial contamination. This apparently wasn’t done.
Obviously, the incidence of fatal infectious endocarditis in steroid-using bodybuilders is exceedingly rare. Intravenous drug abusers who share needles are more likely at risk of such infections. But not so much for injectable steroid users.
Sterile injection equipment
What are we to make of such a sensationalistic case report? Is it nothing more than scare tactics? Is it yet another example of anti-steroid propaganda that overstates and exaggerates the risks associated with steroid use? Or is it a public service announcement intended to reduce the risk of harm in steroid users?
It’s probably all of the above.
Millions of bodybuilders have used and will continue to use injectable steroids without becoming afflicted with infectious endocarditis. This is a rare event. Nonetheless, it is good for bodybuilders to never assume they will be like most steroid users.
If nothing else, the current case could serve as a strong reminder for steroid users to pay proper attention to sterile injection procedures; to be more concerned about the quality and safety of the underground products they are injecting in their body; and to take any injection-related injections more seriously.
Infections are existing in various forms and are not all equally serious. Some manifestations include symptoms like a mild flu, that you're just a little tired and listless. It is not that you are always walking around with an inflammation with the size of a tennisbal in your buttock. And you do not always die, as in this case wherein the infection destroyed the heart. But, if you want to grow during your cycle, you cannot use any infection, not even a mild one, because it will work out negatively on your muscle growth. I’ve made a post about this topic in 2013 posted here.
As I posted microbes in injection substances, on injection syringes or needles, on your hands or already-existing on the skin, can enter the body causing very serious infections. But what most people don’t realize that even after they performed a sterile injection they can still catch an infection. Most guys inject themselves or a friend and after the injection just pull up their boxer and pants …?? After a deep intramuscular infection you are left with an open wound, especially if it doesn’t bleed. You should be careful then just as much as before the injection.
