An error with a resuscitation system has been reported to risk damage to lungs, according to information released by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Manufactured by Intersurgical, the manual resuscitation system – named as the “Bag valve mask” (BVM) – risks damage to lungs due to the potential for excess pressure being delivered by the system.
Given that the defect is with a resuscitation system, this recall is an important one as lives may be at risk as a result of it.
Continue Reading…
Zimmer Biomet have been in the news in recent years over knee replacement device problems, which is one of many stories where medical manufacturers have been in the spotlight for medical device compensation claims.
You only need to look at the massive Metal-on-Metal hip implant cases to see just how big these kinds of claims are.
In this latest story, Zimmer Biomet are recalling specific hip and trauma instruments over potential risks of infections to patients.
Continue Reading…
We welcome the creation of a new government office whose mission is to prevent future product disasters and potentially save lives as well as headaches for consumers in Britain when mass-recalls occur.
The initiative comes off the back of the monumental Whirlpool tumble dryer disaster that saw some three million products liable to catching fire from excess fluff building up in the drums. It’s estimated that around one million tumble dryers are still out there that remain dangerous. This new government office is designed to prevent future disasters of this nature as well as dealing with the fallout when such incidents occur.
Continue Reading…
A laboratory run by Pathology First, working on behalf of Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust, are having to redo thousands of cervical screening tests for cancer after an error was discovered.
The samples affected, which were taken between April 2016 and September 2017 for women aged between 24 and 29 who had smear tests, as well as a number of women in their 60’s, are being re-screened independently.
The results held by the lab were classed as negative, but having had some 2,500 samples re-screened, 17 women have reportedly been invited for further assessments.
Continue Reading…
In August 2017, a woman was killed when her Jeep SUV’s fuel tank combusted after she was rear-ended. The incident has raised further concerns that the 2013 recall over the Jeep’s fuel tank was not enough to protect motorists.
The victim’s 2007 Jeep was one of the 1.56 million sport utility vehicles that Fiat Chrysler agreed to install trailer hitches on to protect the fuel tanks. More than five years ago, Chrysler Group recalled 2.7 million sport-utility cars after the vulnerability was linked to the deaths of 51 people after crashes ignited fuel.
Continue Reading…
All of PharmaTech LLC’s liquid drugs made at one manufacturing plant have been recalled, with regulators advising consumers not to use them.
Reportedly, the drugs have been contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia bacteria.
Patient infections have been linked to the drugs, meaning regulators are warning against the use of their products. Notably, this is not PharmaTech’s first brush with the law. Regulators have been involved with them three times in less than a year for similar issues involving the bacteria.
Continue Reading…
Medical device manufacturer Medtronic Plc is recalling disposable diabetes infusion sets as a possible defect may trigger excessive doses of insulin to the diabetic user, putting them at risk of hypoglycemia.
The recall reportedly affects insulin infusion sets distributed all over the world.
The device, connected to an insulin pump, features thin plastic tubing with a needle or cannula at the end to carry insulin into the body when needed. However, apparently, “one in every two million” sets may contain a “complication”.
Continue Reading…
Major retailer, Target Corporation, has recalled two of their popular fidget-spinners over reports that they contain excessive levels of toxic lead.
The heavy metal is poisonous and can cause symptoms through exposure like stomach pains, headaches, constipation, irritability, memory problems, and tingling in the hands and feet
The brain is particularly sensitive to lead exposure, and in serious cases, exposure can cause seizures, coma and even death. Survivors of lead poisoning may become anaemic and infertile
Continue Reading…
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has announced a recall over Xarelto 20mg film-coated tablets made by Strathclyde Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Better known as Rivaroxaban, the tablets are packaged into blister strips with the weight labelled on one side.
A batch is reportedly affected by the recall following reports of rogue blister strips carrying 15mg tablets finding their way into the twin pack 20mg tablets.
The batch number in question is BXHHDR1, due to expire in September 2019. The 28-tablet packets were reportedly first distributed on 18th September 2017.
Continue Reading…
Here’s an unusual story from around this time last year. Reportedly, dangerous amounts of Xylene were found in Lidl’s Kania Meat and Kania Chicken Gravy Granules, leading to Lidl recalling the products and offering full refunds to customers.
As the countdown to Christmas has begun, one can only hope we don’t see a repeat of something like that – this year!
We don’t often cover contaminated food stories, but as budget supermarkets are becoming increasingly popular in recent times, we were reminded of this one in last year’s run up to Christmas, and decided to blog it!
Continue Reading…
Certain batches of insulin pens manufactured by Novo Nordisk have been recalled as the cartridge holders may not be strong enough to withstand some household cleaners.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have issued a medical device alert to notify hospitals and users to return affected batches to Novo Nordisk for replacement.
NovoPen Echo and NovoPen 5 are both affected by the recall. A total of 87 batches in the U.K. have been recalled by way of a field safety notice, citing broken or cracked cartridges as the problem.
Continue Reading…
Manufactured by Synthes, the DePuy impactors used for Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation (PFNA) have been recalled over potentially dangerous risks of infection. PFNA’s are metal devices inserted into the femur bone to strengthen it.
The U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency (MHRA) has noted a defect with the medical device as a crack in the weld of the handle. The recalled blade is used to insert and position the PFNA in the centre of the bone, and the operating physician uses the handle to grip and position the attached PFNA. It is the handle for the PFNA Blade impactor that can crack, and continued use may mean bodily fluids like blood or bony debris can get inside the device, risking cross-contamination when it’s used for other patients.
Continue Reading…