Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Philadelphia patients taking the anti-seizure drug Lamictal may want to see their doctor about a different medication. The Food and Drug Administration in conjunction with the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, have decided to add a warning and re-label the medication after reports of aseptic meningitis.

Lamictal is prescribed to patients with a high risk of seizure and has also been approved by the FDA to treat patients suffering from manic depression. In an effort to warn patients of the potential serious side effect, GlaxoSmithKline will add language to the medication guide distributed to patients. In addition doctors and others in the health community will be advised of this rare but serious side effect.

Aseptic meningitis is a dangerous inflammation of the spinal cord and brain. Those diagnosed with aseptic meningitis experience headache, fever, chills and vomiting. Most suffers of aseptic meningitis must be hospital for the majority of the illness.

Related Sources:
FDA warns of brain problem with Glaxo seizure drug

Thousands of people in the Philadelphia area and millions in the United States have taken the drug Rituxan over the past twelve years but the drug could leave you susceptible to untreatable infections.

Reports have surfaced that some patients taking the medication have developed serious untreatable viral infections. The infections have left some with complete loss of motor function and have killed others. In 2007, Genentech and Biogen Idec, manufacturers of the drug issued a warning that the drug could cripple or kill patients but took no further action. Patients and their attorneys are arguing that once again the pharmaceutical company put more effort into marketing the drug for profit than informing patients of the serious risks associated with the drug.

Rituxan is an immunosuppressant used to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and rheumatoid arthritis. Side effects of the drug include fatal reactions from infusion, kidney failure and serious brain infection. The drug is also prescribed off label for other auto immune diseases including thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Related Sources:
Lawsuit Says Rituxan Left Man A Quadriplegic

As you pack up your family to leave the Philadelphia area on that road trip or vacation destination this summer, be aware that long road trips or flights can cause a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is a blood clot in the leg that can be fatal. If the blood clot spreads to the lung it will cause a pulmonary embolism, a serious and sometimes fatal medical emergency.

Immobilization and dehydration increase the risk for a DVT to occur in patients. Low blood pressure, smoking, heavy caffeine or alcohol consumption also increase the risk of DVT. Unfortunately, that fun filled family road trip or a long flight to a vacation destination can cause people to sit for long periods of time without proper hydration.

If you are planning to travel by car for a long distance it is recommended that occasionally you get out of the car, walk around and hydrate. If travelling long distance by plane, you may benefit from wearing compression socks to aid circulation. Travelers can also do basic leg stretching exercises in increase blood flow from the legs to the heart.

Related Sources:
Doc warns travelers of deadly clots

A DNA test to predict the likelihood of an individual developing a certain disease is becoming more and more popular but government officials are saying that the tests are flawed and inaccurate.

An undercover investigation found that tests on the same DNA predicted different results. The investigation also discovered that the test challenge the patient's medical history. Congress will continue to investigate the legitimacy of these tests and may forbid companies from marketing them to consumers.

Related Sources:
Investigators: DNA tests give bogus results

A federal investigation by the Food and Drug Administration at a plant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania operated by Johnson & Johnson found multiple violations that could harm the medications manufactured there.

The investigation found a pattern of inattention to detail. Equipment was found to be improperly cleaned and maintained. Problems at the plant were not investigated for significant periods of time and records were rarely maintained. Batches of medication manufactured during an equipment malfunction were not always quality checked. Popular over the counter medications such as Pepcid and Mylanta are manufactured at the plant.

This is the second plant shut down by J&J this year. A plant in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania was shut down after a massive recall was issued by J&J on many popular over the counter medications.

Related Sources:
New FDA report shows multiple lapses at J&J plant

Many of the injuries that send our children to the hospital are predictable and preventable with the ample amount of parent supervision; however accidents do occur. Unfortunately, for kids and their caregivers many accidents occur in the summertime when the children are more active.

The most common reason kids end up in the hospital in the summertime is due to injuries from falling off of playground equipment. Falling just short distances from the monkey bars can break a child's limbs and even worse may cause a concussion. Smaller children are top heavy causing many small tumbles to end up as serious head injuries.

Bonfires and fireworks are common summer time activities and are also a top cause for emergency room visits. Older children are more commonly burned due to direct contact with fire while younger children are more commonly scalded. As smaller children climb and explore areas such as the kitchen, they can pull hot food down from the counter or get burned from kitchen appliances.

Finally, children commonly head to the emergency room in the summer due to accidents that occur while travelling. The vast majority of bike injuries are preventable if children would wear the proper safety equipment such as helmets. Increased activity in the summer on motorized vehicles such as dirt bikes and ATVs increases the likelihood of injuries to children. Parents neglecting to use or improperly using car seats on summer vacations is another preventable but common injury to children.

Related Sources:
5 Reasons Kids End up in the Hospital

Johnson & Johnson is again expanding the recall of children's over the counter medications. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, of New Jersey, has recalled 21 lots of over-the-counter drugs sold in the United States and worldwide.

This latest recall is an expansion of the recall made mid June because of a musty or moldy smell associated with the medication. The smell has been linked to a chemical on the pallets that stored the medication. Johnson & Johnson has stopped using wooden pallets and has asked distributors to do the same. Consumers ingesting the medication have complained of nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

Medications named in the recall:
Benadryl
Children's Tylenol
Motrin IB, Tylenol Extra Strength
Tylenol Day & Night
Tylenol PM

Related Sources:
Johnson & Johnson unit recalls more OTC products

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing only a small percentage of drug testing sites that are not located in the United States. For the past ten years, major drug manufactures have moved testing overseas to cut costs. In 2008, the FDA reviewed only one percent of overseas drug testing sites.

The FDA is responsible for the safety of the drugs sold and prescribed in the United States. Without proper inspection and monitoring of drug trials, unsafe or defective drugs could reach the US market and harm unsuspecting patients. Over eighty percent of drugs approved in 2008 had data from foreign studies.

To remedy the situation the FDA has agreed to place more stringent requirements on companies testing drugs overseas. All companies must now submit trial data in a standardized electronic format to help the FDA identify trials and sites for inspections. The FDA will also work closer with foreign governments to oversee trials and ensure only safe drugs reach the US market.

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Where was that new drug tested?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a massive recall on drop side cribs. Two million cribs manufactured by seven different companies were named in the recall. Over the past five years over nine million drop side cribs have been recalled and the CPSC has warned parents and caregivers several times about the dangers of drop side cribs.

Unlike a standard crib with four immobile sides, drop side Drop side cribs are manufactured with one side that slides up and down for easier access to children. Defective, missing or broken hardware can cause the drop side to unexpectedly collapse and create a hazardous gap for children. Over the past five years, the CPSC has received numerous complaints of children falling out of drop side cribs or suffocating in the hazardous gap created by the defective crib.

In this latest recall, the CSPC has named 16 separate incidents of infants becoming trapped in the cribs. The cribs are manufactured by Evenflo, Delta Enterprises Corp., Child Craft, Jardine Enterprises, LaJobi, Million Dollar Baby and Simmons Juvenile Products Inc. For a complete list of models affected please visit this site.

Related Sources:
More than 2 million cribs recalled

Child Craft Drop-Side Cribs Recalled Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards

Evenflo Recalls to Repair Drop-Side Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards

LaJobi Recalls to Repair Bonavita, Babi Italia and ISSI Drop-Side Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards

Simmons Recalls to Repair Drop-Side Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards

ConArga Foods is recalling a meal manufactured by the popular frozen food brand, Marie Calendar due to a salmonella outbreak in 14 states. The recalled product was distributed nationwide.

All meals labeled "Marie Callender's Cheesy Chicken and Rice White Meat Chicken and Broccoli over Rice Topped with Rich Cheddar Sauce" are being recalled regardless of production date. Almost thirty illnesses across multiple sates have been linked to the recalled product.

Salmonella is a bacterium that most commonly comes from raw poultry. Persons contaminated with salmonella usually develop diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within eight hours to 72 hours of encountering the bacteria. It can be especially dangerous to those with a compromised immune system.

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Recalled: SpaghettiOs & Meatballs, Marie Callender

Campbell Soup Company of Camden, New Jersey has announced a recall on the popular SpaghettiOs & Meatballs due to undercooked meat.

Due to a malfunctioning cooker, 15 million pounds of SpaghettiOs & Meatballs are being recalled. The defective cooker did not adequately heat the meatballs contained in the products. The recall dates back to SpaghettiOs & Meatballs manufactured since December 2008. It is unknown to the company when the cooker malfunctioned and has stretched the recall back to 2008 for an extra measure of safety. The company estimates that there are currently 35,000 cases of the recalled products on store shelves.

SpaghettiOs with Meatballs, SpaghettiOs A to Z with Meatballs, and SpaghettiOs Fun Shapes with Meatballs are all named in the recall. The products were manufactured from December 2008 to January 2010. All cans are stamped with a use-by-date between June 2010 and December 2011. The cans are also stamped with "EST 4K." So far there have been no reports of illness or injuries.

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Recalled: SpaghettiOs & Meatballs, Marie Callender

Johnson & Johnson has expanded the recall of over the counter medications. The new recall is due to a foul odor that has made consumers nauseous. A chemical used to treat the wood pallets that transport and store the medication is the source of the odor.

Johnson & Johnson and McNeil Consumer Healthcare have issued three recalls in the last 8 months for over the counter medications. The foul odor recall includes four lots of Benadryl Allergy Ultratablets and one lot of Extra Strength Tylenol.

The recalls have lead to congressional hearings, fines by the Food and Drug Administration and a factory closing in Pennsylvania.

Related Sources:
J&J expands medicine recall linked to foul odor

Doctors have discovered that giving tranexamic acid or TXA to recently injured patients can prevent death from hemorrhaging and stop excessive bleeding.

TXA is commonly used during elective surgeries to stop bleeding and had not yet been used on accident victims until the study was conducted. Trauma patients who received the drug had a 15 percent lower chance of dying from a hemorrhage and a 10 percent lower chance of dying from any other cause when compared to those who were not given the drug. The study also found that TXA did not increase the chances of blood clots or heart attacks.

TXA is off-patent and manufactured generically by many companies for a relatively low price. It is administered to patients via an injection and it is estimated that the cheap drug could save between 70,000 and 100,000 lives a year if it is given to recently injured patients.

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Cheap drug could save thousands of lives

McDonald's has recalled 12 million collectible Shrek glasses due to cadmium contamination. Cadmium is a known carcinogenetic and cause kidney problems and bone softening. The glasses were manufactured ARC International of Millville, New Jersey.

Cadmium can be used to create red and yellow in paints and was used on the paintings of Shrek characters on the outside of the glasses. The cadmium in the paint could leach out onto the child's hand and then enter the body if the child was to place their hand in their mouth. McDonald's and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have urged all owners of the glasses to immediately stop using them and keep them away from children.

Cadmium concerns surfaced in January 2010, when it was discovered that children's jewelry from China contained 91% of the dangerous metal. It is unknown the amount of cadmium contained in the paint on the glasses but the federal government is looking to implement stronger testing for the known carcinogenetic. Instructions for refunds for the glasses can be found on McDonald's website.

Related Sources:
McDonald's pulls 12M cadmium-tainted Shrek glasses

Shrek Forever After™Glassware Recall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in co-operation with Sprout Stuff has recalled 40 Sprout Stuff infant ring slings due to suffocation hazards. So far the commission has received the report of one infant death connected to the sling.

The slings were sold directly to consumers from October 2006 to May 2007 between $35 and $45. The sling is made of muslin fabric and comes with or without a shoulder pad and has "Sprout Stuff" printed on it. Consumers should immediately stop using the defective product and contact Sprout Stuff for a full refund.

Slings are worn around a parent or caregiver's chests to hold children up to two years of age. The CPSC has routinely notified parents to be extremely careful when carrying their child in a sling. The fabric of the sling can press against the child's face, depriving them of oxygen. The sling can also cause the baby to curve, pressing the head against the chest which also restricts the child's ability to breathe.

Related Sources:
Child Injuries

Infant Death Prompts Recall of Ring Slings Made by Sprout Stuff Due to Suffocation Risk

Newborn death prompts recall of baby slings