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

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.

Related Sources:
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.

Related Sources:
Recalled: SpaghettiOs & Meatballs, Marie Callender

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

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

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is currently under investigation from the Pennsylvania Health Department amid reports of doctors in the hospital reusing syringes.

The hospital has admitted to reusing syringes on patients undergoing treatment with Botox injections. Botox is most commonly used to treat muscle tightness in children suffering from cerebral palsy and muscle tightness in adults who have suffered a stroke. Most of the injections under investigation were used on children and date back to 2005.

Reusing syringes is dangerous and can spread disease. The hospital admits that close to 250 patients, the majority children, were injected with used syringes. Botox has a short shelf life and the hospital admitted it was trying to conserve Botox when the syringes were reused. The hospital will contact the former patients and test them for any blood borne illnesses from the dangerous medical procedure.

Related Source:
State Investigates Reused Syringes At Children's Hospital

A stroke is the number three killer of those in Pennsylvania and the United States. It is also one of the leading causes of severe long term disability. Unfortunately, many do not recognize one of the most severe early indicators of a stroke, a minor or mini stroke. Almost 70% of participants in a study did not realize they were having a minor stroke and did not seek treatment for this potentially serious occurrence.

A stroke occurs when the brain is blocked from receiving oxygen and nutrients from a blood clot or a blood burst in the body. If not treated immediately brain cells die and patients lose power of abilities that were controlled by that part of the brain. Minor strokes or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) occur when the blood clot is temporary and usually do not cause brain damage.

Almost 1/3 of people who experience a TIA will have another stroke in the future. If a patient is aware they are have a TIA and seek treatment the doctor can treat the mini stroke with clot busting medication and treatments to prevent another more serious stroke from occurring. It is imperative to seek treatment immediately when experiencing any stroke, even a minor one. The longer a person waits for treatment the higher the risk of severe and permanent brain damage.

TIA and Stoke Warning Signs/Symptoms:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
Sudden vision difficulty - trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Related Sources:
Study: Most Having Minor Stroke Don't Know It

Doctors at Temple University School of Medicine in North Philadelphia, doctors at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Hahnemann University Hospital in Center City Philadelphia are conducting studies using the female hormone progesterone to prevent permanent brain damage to patients.

A severe head injury causes the brain to swell, damaged cells to die and healthy cells are squeezed and flooded with toxins leaving patients with a grim diagnosis. However there is new hope, a doctor studying head injuries in rats discovered that females had less severe injuries when compared with their male counterparts. The doctor discovered that the brain of the female rat swelled less after an injury and he had a hunch that the female hormone progesterone was the key. After injecting the male rats with progesterone through I-V he discovered that brain swelling was reduced to almost nothing and the hormone also encouraged growth and repair.

A small human study was conducted by the doctor and yielded promising results. The hormone cut the mortality rate by 60% at thirty days after injury. The study also showed no side effects. Now doctors and researchers at 17 clinics across the country including three in Philadelphia are conducting similar studies with similar results. With over 1 million head injuries a year, many resulting in severe and permanent brain injuries to patients, there is a desperate need for treatment options. Progesterone treatment is leaving patients with a less grim diagnosis.

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Possible New Treatment for Brain Injuries

After recent attention to over exposure of radiation by medical tests and procedures, a group of manufacturers have agreed install safety controls that will alert technicians when a patient is receiving an inappropriate amount of radiation.

The scanners will notify technicians whenever the machine emits more radiation then required. Each hospital will be able to preset the scanners with the appropriate levels of radiation for the different types of diagnostic tests and procedures. The announcement comes from the medical imaging industry's trade association and the fail safe software will be installed in the machines by the end of the year.

The average American's total radiation exposure has doubled in the last three decades. Nearly two thirds of all Americans undergo tests that involve radiation, doubling the amount of radiation they would have received had they not undergone the tests. The increased exposure to radiation has caused severe and permanent injuries to patients. This fail safe software is an important step to ensure that patients are safe when undergoing radiation tests and procedures.

Related Sources:
Medical scan makers to install radiation controls

Graco Children's Products Inc. in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled 1.2 million Harmony High Chairs due to defects in the legs of the chair. Graco has received almost 500 complaints of chairs collapsing causing injuries to children.

There are two defects that can present a fall hazard to children. On the front legs screws can loosen and eventually fall out and in the rear legs the plastic bracket can crack causing the chair to become unstable and tip over unexpectedly. Injuries reported to the company include: head injuries, limb fractures and various other cuts and bruises to other parts of the body.

The recall covers all Harmony High Chairs manufactured between November 2003 and December 2009. The chairs sold for $70 and $120 at nationwide retailers including Babies R Us, Wal-Mart and Target. Graco no longer manufactures the defective high chair but estimates over one million are still in use today. Consumers should immediately stop using the high chair and contact Graco for a free repair kit.

Related Sources:
Graco Recalls Harmony™ High Chairs Due to Fall Hazard

In Philadelphia and other cities around the nation people are receiving more radiation than ever before. Recently, there have been reports of over radiation causing severe injuries to patients undergoing treatment. Now bills that have recently been released point to a potential lapse in radiation safety.

As a safety requirement, Medicare mandates that when patients undergo highly technical radiation treatments that the treating oncologist is present or nearby. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and patients are suffering from inexperienced technicians administering radiation therapy. According to bills submitted to Medicare treatments have been administered when oncologists are not present, some are not even in the country.

As the treatments become increasingly complex, the risk increases exponentially for patients. Oncologists must be on hand to oversee treatment to ensure patients are receiving the appropriate amount of radiation and to look for the signs of symptoms of over radiation in their patients. Regrettably, treatment is being administered without oncologists present and patients are suffering.

Related Sources:
Radiation Bills Raise Question of Supervision