Food and Drug Administration
Salmonella Illnesses Prompt Peanut Butter Recall
An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) into a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 29 people in 18 states has resulted in a peanut butter recall for national retailer Trader Joe’s. The CDC and FDA investigation found that the retailer’s Creamy Salted Valencia Peanut Butter was the likely source of the food borne illnesses. The FDA recently released a statement that said that the FDA, CDC and the State of California alerted Trader Joe’s officials about their investigation’s findings, which prompted the retailer to pull the product from stores across the country.
Another Hip Replacement Recall Announced By Manufacturer
Smith & Nephew PLC, a British company that manufactures a metal hip socket liner for hip implants, has announced that it is recalling liners used with its R3 Acetabular System hip device. The liner became available in 2009 and has been implanted in around 7,700 patients in Great Britain. This voluntary recall came after clinical trials with the device showed a higher rate of failure than previously thought. Smith & Nephew reported that they are “not satisfied with the clinical results” after many recipients of the device required corrective surgery to remove the liner on their hip replacement implant due to chronic pain and reduced mobility.
Florida Man Files Medical Malpractice Suit After Surgical Fire
A Florida man recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against NCH Downtown Naples Hospital after he was seriously injured by a surgical fire while undergoing pacemaker surgery. The man had his pacemaker surgically implanted on March 19, 2008. When he woke up after the surgery, he discovered second-degree burns all over his chest, neck and one shoulder. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), around 650 people are injured each year in surgical fires, a relatively unknown but potentially deadly and disfiguring risk in the surgical wards of hospitals.
Consumer Group Urges Recall of Mesh Pelvic Surgical Product
Public Citizen, a national consumer advocacy group, is urging the Food and Drug Administration to issue a recall for a surgical product designed to help women with a common condition called pelvic organ prolapse. The FDA issued a warning about the product in July, and Public Citizen urges stronger action because the mesh device exposes patients to serious health risks and “the potential for permanent life-altering harm.” On average, around 300,000 women have surgery to correct pelvic organ prolapse, which happens when the muscles holding the bladder, bowel and uterus in place are weakened or stretched and these organs drop into the vagina.