FDA Sets More Strict Requirements for Transvaginal Mesh Implant Devices for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken action to warn consumers about the risks involved with surgical mesh devices that are implanted to repair pelvic organ prolapse (POP). On January 4, 2016, the FDA issued two final order to manufacturers of these devices. The first was to re-classify transvaginal mesh devices from class…
Read MoreFDA Faulted for Flawed Drug Tracking
When you visit your doctor for an illness or a disease, and they prescribe a drug that is supposed to ease your symptoms or cure your illness, you more than likely take the prescription to your local pharmacy, and take the pills as directed. Many Americans blithely assume that the FDA is making sure that…
Read MoreDefective Sprinkler Systems Spark Class-Action Suit Potentially Worth More than a Billion Dollars
The story seems almost too terrible to be true: a lawsuit out of Miami describing a “national cover-up over a significant life safety issue” in regards to CPVC pipes installed in thousands of homes throughout the country for use in safety sprinkler systems – pipes which have been proven to fail over and over again;…
Read MoreE. Coli Outbreak Linked to Chipotle Restaurants Has Expanded to Maryland
There has been an outbreak of e coli infections linked to Chipotle restaurants that began in Washington and Oregon in October and November. There have been 52 cases reported in nine states now including the state of Maryland. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli 026 infection…
Read MoreIs Your New Year’s Resolution Putting Your Life in Danger?
The most common New Year’s resolutions always involve health: this will be the year we eat better, exercise more, and quit our bad habits. For many people, the overall goal is to lose weight – thus explaining the increase in gym memberships each January – and some people choose to take weight loss supplements to…
Read MoreRare but Often Deadly Rollover Vehicle Crashes
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that rollovers are rare but deadly because they account for less than 3 percent of motor vehicle crashes, but they account for more than a third of passenger vehicle occupant deaths. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2013 there were 21,132 fatalities in…
Read MoreIs Your Hospital Hiding its Medical Malpractice Data from You?
Back in March, we discussed medical malpractice confidentiality agreements: laws and regulations around the country that looked to protect healthcare professionals when something went “awry” during a procedure. The in August, we looked into research that analyzed the importance of doctors “recognizing and properly disclosing the errors they make, [and] offering an apology and explanation…
Read MoreRaise Your Hand if You Prefer Your Surgeon to be Exhausted
In 2011, a mandate was passed that doctors could no longer work 30 hour shifts. This was based in part by a study that claimed that “Interns working the traditional 30-hour shifts made 36 percent more serious medical errors,” as reported in the New York Times. Banning long shifts makes practical sense; when you are…
Read MoreBad for Mama Means Bad for Baby: Untreated Infections Can Lead to Neonatal Brain Damage
When you are pregnant, your entire world changes in a lot of ways. You will be told to avoid certain foods, to take prenatal vitamins, to avoid drinking or smoking: the usual roundup. You may also be told to avoid certain kinds of medications, because they could have a harmful effect on the baby. For…
Read MoreBeing Exposed to Anesthesia Could Cause Children to Develop Learning Disabilities
Sometimes when a child is born with a birth defect or a cognitive impairment, there seems to be no reason why. Other times, that child might have been the victim of medical negligence, or exposed to a substance which permanently altered their body chemistry or their brain. Discovering the “whys” is often one of the…
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