Johnson & Johnson Marketing of Gynecare Prolift Transvaginal Mesh Raises More Questions
Johnson & Johnson and its Ethicon unit are again coming under scrutiny for the way it marketed its Gynecare ProLift transvaginal mesh product. According to a new report from Bloomberg News, Johnson & Johnson continued marketing the Gynecare ProLift device for months after it received a warning from the ...
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.
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 ...
Bisphosphonate Study Confirms Atypical Thigh Fracture Risk
New research has confirmed the link between bisphoshonates, such as Fosamax, and atypical femur fractures, a type of thigh fracture that occurs spontaneously, without any major leg injury. The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, also found that the risk of atypical thigh fractures increases the longer a ...
Newly-Filed Plavix Lawsuits Claim Drug Caused Gastrointestinal Bleeds, Cerebral Hemorrhage, and TTP
The manufacturer of Plavix continues to be named in lawsuits alleging the blood thinner caused some patients to suffer from serious bleeding side effects. Most recently, the national law firm of Parker Waichman LLP filed nine Plavix bleeding lawsuits in state court in New York.
1,000+ Australians Join DePuy ASR Hip Implant Class Action Lawsuit
A class action lawsuit filed in Australia over DePuy Orthopaedics’ recalled metal-on-metal ASR Hip Implants has signed up more than 1,000 plaintiffs. The attorneys representing the Australian ASR Hip Implant lawsuit plaintiffs recently told The Courier-Mail that damages in the lawsuit are expected to be worth more than $200 million. One ...
Pradaxa Associated with more Complications than Warfarin, According to Early Study Findings
Early results from the largest study to date to compare Pradaxa and warfarin indicate that in a real-world setting, Pradaxa causes more complications than decades-old warfarin. The preliminary study results were announced last week, during the 2012 Thrombosis and Hemostasis Summit of North America.
New York Property Owners Challenge Binghamton Fracking Ban
According to a Reuters report, the landowners believe the Binghamton, N.Y., city council and Mayor acted against proper protocol when voting to ban fracking drilling the the city. Instead, they feel the city should have consulted with the Broome County Planning Commission before approving the ban.
Decision on Pradaxa Bleeding Lawsuit Multidistrict Litigation Expected Soon
Victims of alleged Pradaxa injuries are awaiting word on whether their lawsuits will be consolidated in a multidistrict litigation. According to a report from The Madison Record, so far just over two dozen Pradaxa bleeding lawsuits have been filed in federal courts throughout the U.S.
Actos Whistleblower Lawsuit Questions Avandia Researcher's Financial Ties to Takeda
A prominent researcher has been implicated in an alleged cover-up of Actos side effects, according to a report from TheHeart.org. An Actos whistleblower lawsuit unsealed earlier this year has alleged financial connections between the Cleveland Clinic’s Dr Steven Nissen and the maker of Actos “should be considered when analyzing Actos’s ...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
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
