Another Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Lawsuit Filed in DePuy ASR Hip Implant Litigation
A vital food safety program was saved from budget cuts this week, enabling the country’s largest—although considered by experts to be far too small—produce-safety testing program to continue.
Medtronic Infuse Lawsuit Alleges Off-Label Use Cause Painful Complications
A man in Louisiana has filed suit against Medtronic Inc. over injuries allegedly cause by off-label use of its Infuse Bone Graft product. The plaintiff, who received Infuse during transforaminal spinal lumbar fusion surgery, claims that the bone growth protein caused unwanted bone growth along his spine, worsening the back ...
Canadian Study Finds Actos Raises Bladder Cancer Risk by 22 Percent
Yet another study is confirming the association between the diabetes drug, Actos, and bladder cancer. This latest research, published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that taking Actos raised the risk of bladder cancer among diabetics by about one-fifth.
Tennessee Woman Alleges Boston Scientific Transvaginal Mesh Product Caused Painful Injuries
More reports of painful injuries are being linked to transvaginal mesh. This time, a Tennessee woman has filed a lawsuit against Boston Scientific over its Advantage Transvaginal Mid-Urethral Sling System.
FDA Advisors Set to Examine Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Safety Concerns
Thousands of people with metal-on-metal hip implant devices could soon get some answers from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) about the dangers they face. Tomorrow, the agency will convene a panel of outside medical experts to examine the safety record of metal-on-metal hip replacements, and recommend the ...
Failing DePuy ASR Hip Implants Sending Hundreds of Australians Back to the OR
Roughly 1,000 people in Australia have had to undergo revision surgeries because of failed DePuy ASR hip implants. According to TheAge.com, DePuy Orthopaedics has heard from more than 4,000 people in Australia and New Zealand seeking help with the recalled metal-on-metal hip replacement devices.
Medtronic Plans Layoffs, as Infuse Bone Graft Controversy Continues to Weigh on Spinal Business
Medtronic’s spinal division continues to take a huge hit thanks to the controversy surrounding its Infuse Bone Graft product. According to a report from MassDevice.com, the company’s latest earnings report stated that the division saw Infuse sales decline 26% in the first quarter of 2012, and now Medtronic is talking ...
Stryker Metal Hip Implant Component Recall Bad News for Makers of Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Devices
Stryker’s recent recall of two metal hip implant components, the Rejuvenate Modular and ABG II modular-neck hip stems, may have dealt a serious blow to one of the key arguments medical device manufacturers have made to defend their metal-on-metal hip replacements. Facing thousands of lawsuits, the makers of ...
Lawsuits over DePuy ASR Metal-on-Metal Hip Implants Continue to Mount
DePuy Orthopaedics and its parent, Johnson & Johnson, continue to be hit with lawsuits over recalled metal-on-metal DePuy ASR hip implants. Just yesterday, the national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP announced it had filed yet another DePuy ASR hip implant lawsuit, this time on behalf of a Virginia resident ...
Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Filed by West Virginia Resident
Actos (pioglitazone) continues to be named in lawsuits alleging long-term use of the type 2 diabetes drug caused patients to develop bladder cancer. Just last week, the national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP filed suit against Takeda Pharmaceuticals on behalf of a West Virginia man who developed bladder cancer ...Metro-North Connecticut Collision Leaves Dozens Injured, Some Critically
Dozens were injured following a derailment and crash involving two Metro-North Railroad trains near Fairfield, Connecticut during Friday’s rush hour.
So far, 60 people have been reported as injured and five of those injuries have been classified as critical, according to The New York Times. Since, the Northeast traffic corridor has been severely hampered, with Amtrak operations between New York and Boston suspended over the weekend. Continue reading
Bean Bag Chairs Recalled Over Suffocation, Strangulation Hazards
About 6,300 Anywhere Lounger Bean Bag Chairs have been recalled, according to a just-released U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announcement issued in cooperation with Powell Company, the chair’s manufacturer.
The recalled Anywhere Lounger Bean Bag Chairs were constructed without a permanent zipper closure, which allows young children to unzip the bean bag chair and to ingest or inhale the small beads inside the chair. This, says the CPSC, poses a suffocation and strangulation hazard. No incidents or injuries have been reported, to date. Continue reading
Avon Recalls Microwave Popcorn Makers Over Burn, Fire Hazards
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced a recall issued by Avon for microwave popcorn makers.
Some 55,000 Avon Microware Popcorn Makers that were sold in the United States are being recalled over the potential for fire and burns, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The recalled Avon popcorn makers retailed for about $13 and were sold in the United States through Avon’s website and Avon sales representatives from October through February, the AP said. Continue reading
Another Ethicon Vaginal Mesh Device Lawsuit Filed Over Serious Injuries
A Mississippi woman alleges, in a recently filed lawsuit, that she suffered injuries caused by Ethicon Inc.’s transvaginal mesh device. The woman alleges the injuries are a result of Ethicon’s Prolift and TVT sling and that these products are defective.
According to this complaint, the woman was implanted with the Prolift and TVT sling on November 20, 2008. The lawsuit alleges that the device makers knew about the risks associated with Ethicon’s Proflift and TVT sling and failed to warn the woman, her doctor, and other consumers. She is suing for negligence on three counts of strict liability (design defect, manufacturing defect, and failure to warn), breach of express and implied warranty, fraudulent concealment, and punitive damages. Continue reading
Nevada Health Officials: 89 Affected in Salmonella Outbreak
According to the Southern Nevada Health District, as many as 89 people may have contracted salmonella at Firefly, a popular Las Vegas tapas restaurant.
The restaurant was shut down on April 26, following a health inspection that revealed violations including improperly stored food; employees handling food without gloves; and employees preparing food next to cleaning chemicals, according to KVVU-TV. Continue reading
Woman Undergoes Hip Implant Revision Surgery Over Cobalt Reaction
A Denver woman, allergic to a component in one of her hip implants had to undergo revision surgery to remove and replace the medical device.
The 50-year-old woman told ABC News that said she suffered from pain and itching throughout her body, but had no idea it was her hip implant that was causing the reactions that also included migraine headaches.
Two years into the symptoms, her right hip lit up on a PET scan she underwent for an unrelated issue. The hip involved was implanted in 2008 and constructed with metal, according to ABC News. “My entire body itched,” she told ABCNews.com. “A regular allergist did some testing that didn’t show anything. Not one person along the way said, ‘I wonder if you’re allergic to your hip.’” Continue reading
Tougher Drunk Driving Limits Sought
In an effort to cut alcohol-related highway deaths, a more stringent drunk driving threshold is being sought.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is working to have the current blood alcohol threshold of .08 slashed down to .05, which would match a standard that has significantly cut highway deaths in other countries, according to The Associated Press (AP).
The reduced level of .05 percent amounts to about one four-ounce drink for a woman weighing under 120 pounds or two drinks for a 160-pound man, according to the AP. Continue reading
Florida Nursing Home Faces Sanctions Over Client Treatment
A Florida nursing home is facing a fine and state-mandated probation for failing to report allegations of abuse and to implement procedures to prevent abuse.
Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration has determined that three of 60 clients at Silvercrest Manor Nursing Home in Crestview were not “free of verbal or physical abuse,” according to nwfdailynews.com, an online newspaper. According to the proposed settlement agreement filed on May 10, staff members were made aware of “intentional rudeness, refusal of care and services, and rough physical treatment of residents,” but failed to take appropriate action. Continue reading
Pain Pill Use Associated with Erectile Dysfunction
A study has found that men taking prescription pain pills in high doses and over time are likelier to experience erectile dysfunction (ED).
The study, published in the journal, Spine, found that men taking high doses of prescription painkillers for more than four months were 50 percent likelier to need ED treatment when compared to men who were not taking pain killers, according to Fox News. The researchers reviewed the health records of 11,000 men who were taking prescription opioids, such as oxycodone, for chronic back pain treatment. A high dose of an opioid was considered to be the equivalent of 80 milligrams of Oxycontin daily, or 120 milligrams of morphine. Continue reading
Detergent Pods Present Significant Dangers to Children
Detergent pods or capsules have been associated with an array of adverse reactions in children, including choking and poisoning incidents. Part of the issue with these pods is that they look like candy and are very attractive to children.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers indicates that more than 6,200 young children, under five years of age, were taken to hospitals in 2012 after attempting to eat the dangerous detergent pods, according to an ABC2 News report. “The problem with these little pods is that they are very concentrated, so the detergent is a smaller amount but more concentrated. If they take it, if they chew it, take off a piece, bite into it, they get a concentrated dose of the detergent,” Dr. Kate Cronan from Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital For Children, told ABC2 News. Continue reading
