News Tagged ‘FDA

FDA issues Class I recall for faulty pacemakers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an alert to patients just two weeks after Medtronic, Inc. sent separate letters to health care professionals and patients worldwide warning that thousands of its pacemakers could have faulty wiring that can cause the medical devices to work improperly or not work at all. This defect could have potentially deadly consequences for patients with the devices.

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Congressional hearings continue on Medical Device Safety Act

capitol dome 100x100The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee continues to debate the Medical Device Safety Act of 2009, with the announcement of a June 18 hearing on the matter. The bill proposes to overturn the Supreme Court ruling of Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc., which prevents consumers who have been hurt by defective medical devices to sue the device’s maker if the devices have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The class includes medical devices such as cardiac defibrillators, pacemakers, replacement heart valves, coronary artery stents and pre-filled syringes.

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Man says faulty defibrillator felt like being kicked by horse

kicking horse 100x100“It felt like having a horse inside you trying to kick its way out of your chest,” says Bill Storms of Delaware, Ohio, describing what it felt like when the Medtronic cardiac defibrillator implanted in his chest began malfunctioning and sending electrical jolts through his body. The 38-year-old truck driver said his device misfired 138 times over a five-hour period before the device was eventually turned off.

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Hamburg hopes to create a culture in FDA where concerns are heard

hamburg 100x100President Barack Obama’s top pick for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, Bioterrorsim expert and former New York City health commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, says if confirmed she would “create a culture (at the agency) that would enable all voices to be heard,” according to Thompson, a human resources Web site. The comment was made during a question-and-answer exchange with Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md) during the 1 ½-hour confirmation hearing.

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Alabama man injured by cardiac defibrillator sues manufacturer

Beasley Allen Law Firm attorneys P. Leigh O’Dell and Ted G. Meadows filed a lawsuit on April 29, 2009, on behalf of Patrick M. Lancaster of Alabama, alleging that the plaintiff suffered injuries as a result of having been implanted with a Sprint Fidelis Lead manufactured by Medtronic, Inc. The lawsuit names defendants Inc., Puerto Rico, Inc., and Puerto Rico Operations Co.

The complaint incorporates by reference the relevant portions of the Master Consolidated Complaint for Individuals on file with the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota in the matter In Re , INC., SPRINT FIDELIS LEAD PRODUCT LIABILITY LITIGATION.

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FDA meeting could compromise Medical Device Safety Act

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has planned an internal meeting today to discuss the strategic direction of the agency’s medical device center, adding fuel to concerns that the government agency carelessly approved medical devices and as a result put patients’ health and safety at risk, according to the American Association for Justice (AAJ).

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FDA issues Class I recall on ZOLL heart defibrillator

Another heart defibrillator has fallen under a Class I by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The on ZOLL AED Plus Defibrillators was initiated because the device may fail to deliver a defibrillation shock, which could result in failure to resuscitate a patient during treatment of sudden cardiac arrest.

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FDA to crack down on medical device manufacturers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is cracking down on makers of medical devices that fall in the most risky category of products approved by the FDA, ordering the companies to provide tougher evidence of their products’ safety and effectiveness or pay for extensive clinical trials for their products currently on the market, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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Victim of defective defibrillator lobbies for Medical Device Safety Act

medtronic pacemaker 150x150Ron Albrecht lives in fear – fear that one day he will learn that the defibrillator implanted in his chest is defective and will cause him excruciating pain when it fails, like his previous one did two years ago. That device turned out to be among the defective heart defibrillators that were recalled by the device’s manufacturer, Medtronic. Albrecht’s device had to be replaced, and while his new one appears to be operating fine, he still worries.

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Patients converge on Capital Hill for right to sue Medtronic

medtronic logo 150x91People with Medtronic cardiac defibrillators implanted in their chests converged on Washington, D.C., this week to lobby for the passage of the Medical Device Safety Act. The act will allow consumers who have been hurt by defective medical devices to sue the device’s maker even if the devices have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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