Bayer Yaz, Yasmin Blood Clot Lawsuit Settlements Stand at $147 Million
Bayer AG reported yesterday that it continues to settle Yaz and Yasmin birth control pill lawsuits. According to a report from Bloomberg News, the company said in its latest Stockholder Newsletter that it has settled 651 Yaz and Yasmin blood clot lawsuits for a total of $147 million. The average ...
Tennessee Resident Files Pradaxa Bleeding Lawsuit Following Cerebral Hemorrhage
A man from Tennessee has filed a lawsuit against the maker of Pradaxa, claiming that the blood thinner caused him to suffer a cerebral hemorrhage. The complaint alleges Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. concealed knowledge that Pradaxa can cause Serious, life-threatening bleeds, and did not warn that Pradaxa bleeding side effects ...
Johnson & Johnson Facing More Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Woes, as DePuy Pinnacle Complaints Rise
Having already spent around $3 billion on its DePuy Orthopaedics ASR hip implant recall, Johnson & Johnson is facing another potential debacle involving a metal-on-metal version of its Pinnacle Hip Replacement System. According to a report from Reuters, Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy unit already face some 1,600 metal-on-metal ...
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.
Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacement Concerns Grow in Canada
Canadian patients and doctors are voicing more concerns about metal-on-metal hip replacements, as health regulators around the world continue to investigate the safety of the devices. According to a report from the CBC, four companies have recently either recalled or suspended sales of metal-on-metal hip replacement devices, while a number ...
Study Finds SSRI Antidepressant Side Effects Outweigh Their Benefits
A new study is raising more concerns about the safety of commonly used antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake (SSRI) inhibitor antidepressants. Investigators who conducted the study, which is published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, posit that increased knowledge of the negative effects of SSRIs and other antidepressants could reduce ...
Federal Judge Certifies Medtronic Infuse Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit
A shareholder lawsuit alleging Medtronic Inc. illegally promoted the off-label use of its Infuse bone growth product has been granted class action status by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson of Minnesota. According to a report from Law360.com, the Medtronic Infuse off-label promotion lawsuit was filed by several institutional investors on ...
FDA Panel Takes up Metal-on-Metal Hip Implant Safety Today
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is convening a meeting starting today to help decide the future of metal-on-metal hip implants following high-profile recalls and mounting questions about their overall safety.
Toxic Nano-Particles from Failing Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements May Pose Long-Term Health Risks
According to a new study, failing metal-on-metal hip implants generate toxic nano-particles that release Cobalt 2+ ions, which not only cause inflammation in surrounding tissue, but have the potential to cause long-term damage to the genetic material of cells. According to a report published by Medicalxpress.com, this “genotoxicity” could ...
Older Hip Implant, Knee Replacement Patients Face Heart Attack Risk Following Surgery
An emerging report reveals that older hip implant and knee replacement patients face increased heart attack risks following surgery. The risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was seen in the first two weeks after these surgical procedures.GranuFlo, NaturaLyte Maker Faces Center Closure Following Patient Deaths, Poor Infection Control Standards
A dialysis center owned by Fresenius Medical Care North America has shut down following infection-related deaths and hospitalizations.
The Bessemer Kidney Center is one of one dozen dialysis centers in Alabama that are owned by Fresenius Medical Care. This center was shut down earlier this month following two patient deaths and other patient hospitalizations that occurred over a matter of days, according to AL.com. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alabama Department of Public Health are investigating. Continue reading
DEP Drilling Review Reveals Water Damage, Questionable Testing Methods
A recently released drilling review found water damage and questionable testing methods in many cases when oil and gas activity were involved.
State environmental regulators found, according to a Times-Tribune/The Sunday Times report, that between 2008 – 2012, oil and gas development activity harmed water supplies for some 161 Pennsylvania homes, farms, churches, and businesses based on nearly 1,000 determination letters and enforcement orders written by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials and obtained by the media outlet. Determination letters are sent to water supply owners who seek state inspections into whether or not oil and gas drilling activities polluted their well water or impacted the water flow to their wells, according to the Times-Tribune. Continue reading
Ohio Nursing Home Employee Charged with Patient Abuse
On May 13 a Montgomery County, Ohio, grand jury indicted a Dayton nursing home employee on a felony charge of patient abuse.
Norma Black, 70, is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on May 28. She is charged with hitting a patient at the Arbors at Dayton Subacute and Rehabilitation Center in Dayton, whiotv.com reports. According to the indictment, the abuse occurred in March 2012. Continue reading
Cell Phone Radiation Leads to New Concerns
While study results have been mixed over the issue of cell phones and the radiation they emit and the dangers they present, some credible experts are taking another look at the ubiquitous devices.
A nurse at the brain injury unit of a physical rehabilitation hospital told CBS58 News that in the past year she has seen more brain tumor injuries in younger patients. A Milwaukee attorney told CBS58 that his now-deceased friend “developed brain cancer on the side of his head where he typically used the cell phone.” Continue reading
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
