Monthly Archives: May 2015
Government Penalizes 721 Hospitals for High Rates of Infections, Injuries
Medicare is reducing payments to 721 hospitals, one out of every seven hospitals in the nation, for having high rates of “hospital-acquired” conditions (HAC.
Birth Control Shot Depo-Provera may Increase HIV Risk, Study Suggests
A new study has linked the use of Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate), an injectable type of birth control, to an increased risk of HIV infection.
Western Pennsylvania Familes File Suit Over Alleged Fracking Pollution
Three families in western Pennsylvania believe a leading hydraulic fracturing (fracking) company and two water testing labs are conspiring to produce false results that show natural gas drilling is not contaminating their private water wells.
Estate of Kentucky Man Alleges Wrongful Death Due to Actos Bladder Cancer
National law firm, Parker Waichman LLP, just filed a lawsuit on behalf of the estate of a Kentucky man who developed bladder cancer and subsequently died, allegedly due to the use of diabetes drug, Actos. The lawsuit names Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, ...
Tentative Ohio Fracking Regulations Criticized as too Lax
Lawmakers in Ohio have tentatively passed new regulations governing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) drilling but they’ve immediately been criticized for being too favorable to the natural gas and oil industries.
DePuy ASR Hip Implants, Other Faulty Medical Devices Subject to Little FDA Oversight, Investigation Finds
A newly-published investigation from ProPublica has revealed that several questionable types of medical devices, including DePuy Orthopaedic’s recalled ASR hip implant, managed to make it to market without much scrutiny on the part of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Smith & Nephew’s Birmingham Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Device
Wright Medical Inc. took steps in to 2006 to convince the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to reject pre-market approval of rival Smith & Nephew’s Birmingham metal-on-metal hip implant. Wright Medical, which makes two metal-on-metal hip replacement devices, the Conserve and the Lieneage device, filed a citizen petition ...
Single-Car Crash on Northern State Parkway Kills Port Jefferson Station Man
A Port Jefferson Station man was killed on Wednesday due to a single-vehicle crash on the Northern State Parkway in Dix Hills. Police are investigating the accident, Newsday reports. According to Newsday, the 81-year-old man was driving a Nissan Altima west in the right lane, west of Exit 42. He ...
Hip Replacement, Knee Implant Patients with Diabetes, Other Health Problems May Face Difficult Recoveries
Patients receiving hip replacement devices or knee implants may face a more complicated recovery if they are obese, or suffer from diabetes or other health woes. According to a new study published online in the journal Anesthesiology, at least 3% of all total hip or knee replacement patients will ...
Federal DePuy ASR Hip Implant Trials Likely to Start This Year
It looks as though the first trials in the DePuy ASR hip implant multidistrict litigation could begin sometime later this year. According to a report from Bloomberg News, during a status conference held yesterday in Florida, attorneys for both plaintiffs and the defense told U.S. District Judge David Katz that ...FDA Inspection Results in Warning Letter to Smith & Nephew
A March inspection of the Andover, Massachusetts manufacturing facilities of medical device maker Smith & Nephew has resulted in a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letter to the company based on problems uncovered the inspection. The inspection took place … Continue reading
Update on CareFusion Recall of AVEA Ventilators
This week, medical device maker CareFusion provided an update on a global voluntary recall that was initiated on April 21, 2015 to address an issue with certain units of AVEA ventilators. The AVEA ventilator is used in hospitals and health … Continue reading
$15 Million in Damages Awarded to Child for Birth Defects Linked to Depakote
This week a St. Louis jury found that a Minnesota girl’s birth defects were caused by the epilepsy medication Depakote her mother took during pregnancy and the jury awarded the child $15 million in damages. The jury returned the unanimous … Continue reading
Research Links Tylenol Use during Pregnancy to Increased Risk of Male Sterility
New research suggests that males may have a higher risk of infertility if their mothers took Tylenol for extended periods during pregnancy. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and published in the journal Science Translational Medicine … Continue reading
UMass Epidemiologist to Lead Study of Possible Link Between Phthalates and Breast Cancer Risk
An epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study whether phthalates affect human breast cancer risk. Prof. Katherine Reeves of the UMass School of Public … Continue reading
Health Authorities Investigate Multistate Salmonella Outbreak Possibly Linked to Raw Tuna in Sushi
The Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local health officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Paratyphi B variant L(+) tartrate(+) infections, possibly linked to sushi made from raw tuna. … Continue reading
Acetaminophen Use in Pregnancy Could Affect Son’s Fertility
New research in mice suggests that long-term exposure to acetaminophen during pregnancy could lower a male’s production of testosterone, possibly affecting his fertility. The results suggest that if a pregnant woman takes acetaminophen for several days it could affect her … Continue reading
Emails Show FDA Was Warned of Duodenoscope Infection Risks Six Years Ago
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received warnings nearly six years ago about the risk of “superbug” infection from specialized medical scopes. The devices have been tied to a series of deadly superbug outbreaks. In 2009, after duodenoscopes were linked … Continue reading
Lumber Liquidators CEO Unexpectedly Resigns Amid Product Safety Concerns
Lumber Liquidators CEO Robert Lynch unexpectedly resigned Thursday following weeks of struggles over safety concerns related to its flooring products. The Toano, Va.-based company will search nationally for a replacement, the company said. Thomas Sullivan, Lumber Liquidators founder, will serve … Continue reading
Indian Food Inspectors Order Instant Noodle Recall over Dangerous Levels of Lead
Food inspectors in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have ordered Nestle India to recall a batch of Maggi instant noodles from stores across the country because the product contained dangerous levels of lead. India’s Food Safety and Drug … Continue reading
