Settlement Reached in Disabled Man’s Lawsuit Alleging Delta Forced him to Crawl On & Off Flights
A partially paralyzed Maui man who sued Delta Air Lines for allegedly forcing him to crawl on and off flights reached a settlement, Huffington Post reports. In 2012, Baraka Kanaa filed a lawsuit against Delta, alleging that the airline did not provide him with a wheelchair or other assistance for two flights. Kanaan, who hasn’t [...]
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, April 26th, Helps Combat Substance Abuse
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, set for April 26th, attempts to fight substance abuse by encouraging residents to get rid of their unwanted prescription medications. Addiction to prescription medications can be crippling, particularly in young people who often find the drugs in medicine cabinets.
Study Suggests Codeine Prescriptions May be Harmful to Children
A new study suggests that codeine, a common prescription pain killer, is prescribed for children in at least half a million emergency room visits each year despite recommendations that such use should be limited. The 10-year study found that codeine was only prescribed in 3 percent of kids’ ER visits in 2010, but the researchers [...]
FDA Increases Generic Drug Review, Testing
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was forced to stop the sale of generic drugs from Ranbaxy Labs and Wockhardt Ltd., located in India. Drug safety issues were cited, according to The Herald Tribune. Since, drug makers have increased the $2 million FDA budget for handling generics to $20 million, and are also sponsoring [...]
Overuse of Antipsychotic Drugs in Nursing Home Patients
An investigative report by the Toronto Star reveals an alarming rate of use of powerful antipsychotic drugs in nursing homes, although these medications can be deadly for elderly patients with dementia. Some long-term care facilities routinely use these drugs to calm and “restrain” wandering, agitated patients who sometimes exhibit aggression. The Star found that as [...]
Cancer Risk with Fibroid Removal Procedure, FDA Warns
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety communication, warning doctors about the risk that a certain procedure in hysterectomy and uterine fibroid tumor removal could unexpectedly spread cancerous tissue into the patient’s abdomen. Power morcellation, in which a device cuts tissue into pieces that can be removed through tiny abdominal incisions [...]
Class I Recall Issued for Spacelabs Healthcare Ltd., ARKON Anesthesia Delivery System Due to Software Defect
Spacelabs’ ARKON Anesthesia Delivery System with version 2.0 software has been issued a class I recall. The systems are used in hospital operating rooms to delivery oxygen, air and nitrous oxide. It delivers these gases in a controlled manner with or without a mechanical ventilator and “may be used for the delivery of anesthetic vapor [...]
1 in 20 Outpatients are Misdiagnosed Every Year, Study Says
At least 1 in 20 adults receiving outpatient care are misdiagnosed every year, a new study suggests. According to the study, published in the journal BMJ Quality & Safety, data from three previous studies, shows that the rate of misdiagnosis in outpatients was about 5 percent. This translates to 1 in 20 adults, 12 million [...]
Endo Vaginal Mesh Facility Inspection Prompts FDA Warning Letter
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a warning letter to pharmaceutical firm, Endo International PLC, following an inspection that revealed a number of issues at a vaginal mesh facility. The inspection took place at Endo subsidiary’s, American Medical Systems Inc.’s (AMS), Minnetonka, Minnesota facility, Endo wrote this week in a regulatory filing with [...]
Use of SSRI Antidepressants in Pregnancy Tied to Autism Risk, Study Shows
A study published online this week in the journal Pediatrics reports that boys with autism were three times more likely to have been exposed to SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) antidepressants in the womb than typically developing children. Boys whose mothers took SSRIs – including Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), and Zoloft [...]
