FDA Considers Dangers of Hysterectomy Procedure That May Spread Cancer
This month, a panel convened by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considered the risks associated with the use of the power morcellator, a surgical tool used in about 50,000 hysterectomies a year. In power morcellation, the device cuts uterine tissue into pieces that can be removed through small incisions made during minimally invasive surgery, [...]
Study Links Riata Defibrillator Lead Wire Externalization to Electrical Failures
Data in a Danish study of St. Jude Medical’s recalled Riata and Riata ST defibrillator leads suggests that “lead externalizations,” in which the lead wires wear through their insulation, is linked to electrical failures and the problem gets worse over time. Dr. Jacob Larsen of Denmark’s Aalborg University Hospital, led the research team, which followed [...]
Florida Jury Awards $23.6 Billion in Tobacco Case
A verdict of $23.6 billion has been handed down by a jury in northwestern Florida in a tobacco lawsuit. According to The New York Times, the case was filed by a widow who alleged that her chain-smoking husband died at the age of 36 of lung cancer. The company being sued, R.J. Reynolds, is the [...]
Fracking Waste May be Contaminating Aquifers, California Ceases Injection Sites
Eleven oil and gas waste injection sites have been shut down in California’s Central Valley due to concerns that they may be leaking hazardous substances into drinking water aquifers nearby, ProPublica reports. Another 100 sites are under review. On July 7th, the California Division of Gas and Geothermal Resources issued cease and desist orders to [...]
FDA Issues Warning about Dangers of Pure Powdered Caffeine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety alert to consumers about the dangers of consuming pure powdered caffeine, prompted by the death of an Ohio teenager. Powdered caffeine can be lethal, even in small amounts. LaGrange, Ohio, 18-year-old Logan Stiner died on May 27 after consuming the product, the Associated Press [...]
Walgreens Accused of Overcharging Consumers for Medical Records, Other Items
United States pharmaceutical chain, Walgreens Company, has recently been accused of charging its customers more than what is legally acceptable for copies of their medical records. The Deerfield, Illinois-based company is the largest drug retailer in the United States, operating nearly 9,000 stores across the country and in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and [...]
California Company Recalls Contaminated Tattoo Ink and Needles
A California company has issued a nationwide recall on all of its tattoo ink and needles because of bacterial contamination. The White & Blue Lion, Inc. in City of Industry, California announced the voluntary recall a week ago, saying the tattoo ink, needles, and kits could cause a bacterial infection, according to a news release [...]
Veterans Face Longer Waits for Cancer Care at VA Medical Centers
In a 2011 study, a group of researchers found that wait times from cancer diagnosis to treatment at Veterans Administration medical centers were longer at VA centers than at community hospitals. The wait times for surgery for liver and colon cancers at VA centers were more than twice as long. CNN reports that Dr. Karl [...]
Study Finds Removing Healthy Breast Tissue does Little to Boost Breast Cancer Survival Rates
A new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, has found that removing healthy breast tissue does not significantly boost survival rates in breast cancer patients. It has become more common for women with breast cancer to have the other breast removed as a precaution in a procedure known as prophylactic [...]
BMW Recalls 1.6 Million 3-Series Cars Over Airbag Issue
BMW is recalling about 1.6 million cars globally over air bag safety concerns and joins other automakers which are replacing a defective part manufactured by Takata Corporation. BMW AG announced the recall, which involves its 3 series sedans, is part of an initiative to replace passenger-side front air bags, and which has impacted seven key [...]
