Posted on July 02, 2013 in Birth Defects

Recently, the FDA has approved the return of a prescription medicine used to treat morning sickness during pregnancy that was taken off the market about 30 years ago after leading to hundreds of lawsuits that claimed it led to birth defects.

The pill that has been brought back from the dead was called Bendectin in the past, but will now be sold as Diclegis. The FDA never actually stated that the pill was unsafe, but the pharmaceutical company who distributed the pill decided to pull it once the litigation costs outweighed profit.

During the time Bendectin was on the market, over 300 lawsuits were filed against Merrell Dow, the company behind it. These various lawsuits claimed that the drug led to babies being born with deformities. However, no direct link was made between Bendectin and the birth defects it supposedly caused. There was no scientific evidence.

When Bendectin was pulled off the market, The New York Times had something to say about the ordeal:

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 Posted on June 30, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

More often now than ever before, high school students are graduating and entering into colleges and universities without any idea of what they would like to study or what they want to do with the rest of their lives. As time seeds out those who are not meant for college-life, there are very few students left in comparison when it is time to enter graduate school .

Not only did Andrew Murtha make it through undergraduate school and continue on for a graduate degree from Saint Louis University, but he has also already become the winner of the 48th annual Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Student Research Forum at SLU before completing his second year of medical school.

Murtha plans to specialize in orthopedic medicine and was given an opportunity at SLU to develop an artificial hip that should reduce complications after operations, which won him the prestigious award.

Riya Anandwala from SLU reported on the project, writing that in his research, Murtha discovered “that using a thinner plastic liner to accommodate larger femoral head, which replaces the highest part of the bone in the thigh, did not increase the risk of fracturing the liner.” That research was the answer for previous issues that arose after surgery due to larger femoral heads.

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 Posted on June 28, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

Defective medical equipment can serious injury those who need the products, especially in the case of diabetic monitoring devices. Diabetes is when the body does not process the food properly – glucose (sugar) cannot be converted to energy for the body to use. Some conditions can go unnoticed if not tested by a blood sugar meter. If untreated, it can cause short term problems such as hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or diabetic ketoacidosis. However, long terms issues affecting blood vessels and organs can cause the body to shut down – possibly leading to blindness, amputation of limbs, or organ failure. To help a diabetes patient monitor and keep track of their blood sugar level, a blood glucose meter is a daily instrument for survival.

FreeStyle InsuLinx Blood Glucose Meters sold or distributed between the dates of April 18, 2012 and April 1, 2013 are being recalled, according to the FDA. These meters prick blood from the fingertip to then be placed on the monitor to test blood sugar levels. These machines are being recalled because they are not giving users correct results.

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 Posted on June 25, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

Every year, the FDA recalls medical devices that are deemed unsafe or that don't function properly. In 2012, 50 medical devices were recalled throughout the year, and 2013 is no different. Early in May, five medical devices were recalled.

On May 1^st, two different medical devices were recalled. The first was from Hospira Inc. The GemStar Infusion System was recalled. It is used in intravenous, arterial, subcutaneous, short-term epidural infusion and parental administration of general IV fluids, medications, nutritional foods and blood products, according to the FDA. It can be used in the home or hospital. It was recalled because of battery leakage.

The second medical device that was recalled was from Newport Medical Instruments, Inc. The HT70 and HT70 Plus Ventilators were recalled because it went into internal backup battery sooner than expected. They are used to provide positive pressure mechanical ventilator support.

Three medical devices were recalled on May 7^th.

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 Posted on June 19, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

Though medical devices are meant to help those who need them to live healthy and productive lives, there are risks involved in the use of a medical device. If the device does not work properly, is not used properly, or begins to break down, it can cause more problems for the person using it. The following will help you understand what makes a medical product defective, and what to do if you encounter a defective device.

In order to bring up the issue of a defective medical device in a court of law, it must be defective in one of the two following ways:

1. The design is defective. This means that if the device is in proper condition and is used according to the directions, it will be harmful to the user.
2. The product is defective. This means that the device was designed in a way that would help the user, however it was poorly constructed, and does not work properly.

Understanding these two definitions of a defective device can help you determine whether or not you have a case. Contact an Illinois defective medical devices lawyer today with questions.

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 Posted on June 12, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

When purchasing a medical product, it is expected that the product will be safe, functioning, and helpful. The Food and Drug Administration exists to regulate the safety of these products. However, when a product is found to be unsafe after it has been used by the public, the FDA can post product recalls.

A multi-state recall of drug products that were supposed to be guaranteed sterile by the Nora Apothecary & Alternative Therapies pharmacy has been announced. These products are not yet expired, but since they were compounded and delivered on or before Friday, April 19, 2013, the pharmacy cannot guarantee they are safe. Quality control process is to blame, as well as the fact they were not able to keep the sterility assurance during a recent FDA inspection.

Though there have been no reports of injury or illness, they chose to announce a voluntary recall as a precaution in order to insure no issues do arise. According to the press release that announced the recall, “Patients are at increased risk for serious infections in the event a sterile product is compromised.”

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 Posted on June 07, 2013 in American Psychiatric Association

Chances are you know someone who suffers from mental illness. That someone may even be you. Yet, knowing about mental illness is not the same as understanding mental illness. An increasing awareness about mental health issues fuels a need for healthy dialogue and proper education. Mental illness impacts many – from government officials to day laborers – and the community continues to grow. Earlier this month, President Obama and Vice President Biden hosted a National Conference on Mental Health. The event, held at the White House, focused on increasing communication, understanding and awareness about mental health issues.

“We commend the Administration's efforts through this national dialogue to focus attention and resources on important mental health issues and the need to eliminate stigma and improve access to quality care for all individuals who need mental health services,” said Jeffrey Lieberman, M.D., President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

Mental Health Treatment Drug Concerns

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 Posted on June 03, 2013 in Drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) controls what drugs may be sold or prescribed to the public. If a prescription drug is proven to cause dangerous side effects, FDA may remove it from the market. Also, the FDA may ask the manufacturer to withdraw a drug when the drug is not used in treatment anymore. There are a number of reasons why the FDA sometimes chooses to remove a drug off the market, according to this article. Here are two of them.

Many drugs on the market cause side effects that are well documented. In fact, known side effects lead to more injuries and fatalities than unknown ones. However, some adverse effects only happen rarely which makes predicting them difficult. Normally, drugs are tested rigorously before they end up in the market allowing the more common side effects to be detected. But rare problems do not necessarily show up in these tests and dangerous drugs manage to get in the market.

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 Posted on May 30, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

So many people put their lives in the hands of medical professionals. In turn, medical professionals rely on medical devices to assist in the care of patients. Without these devices, care would be limited. Having equipment that works properly is critical, as it can be used in a life and death situation.

Recently, the Maquet SERVO-I ventilator battery module was recalled by the FDA. These battery types are important because they allow healthcare professionals and patients to be mobile as opposed to being near an electricity source. Ventilator units are used to monitor and treat people with respiratory issues. If for any reason this medical equipment should fail to operate, it could cost a patient's life.

The FDA reports that the reason for the recall is due to reports that some battery packs distributed after the first of the year had shorter a battery life than expected. This can cause the ventilator to shut down which is something the hospital cannot afford to happen. If this were to happen, it could cause serious health complications, which could include death and that, could lead to a malpractice suit.

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 Posted on May 27, 2013 in Drugs

According to a recent article published by Forbes, it has been discovered that dietary supplements have made up over half of all FDA Class 1 drug recalls between 2004 and 2012. “Class 1” means that the supplements contained ingredients that have a potential to “cause serious adverse health consequences or death.”

The St. Michael's Hospital research team determined that between January 2004 and December 2012, 51% of drugs subjected to a Class 1 recall were in fact dietary supplements. Most of these recalls took place after 2008 for what was said to be unknown reasons.

The categories of supplements with the highest recalls were developed for (1) sexual enhancement, (2) bodybuilding, and (3) weight loss. Sexual enhancement supplements accounted for 40% of all Class 1 recalls.

What makes the supplement industry unique is that they do not require FDA approval before being sold. There are currently approximately 65,000 dietary supplements on the market in the United States.

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