The Philips DreamStation 2 CPAP machine, used both at home and in medical settings, is prescribed to provide positive airway pressure for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned patients and health care providers to diligently attend to whether their Philips…
Recently, federal safety regulators asked consumers to stop buying and using magnetic toy ball sets for their children’s use. These magnetic balls have now been associated with hundreds of serious injuries as well as 7 fatalities, 5 of them within the U.S. When swallowed, these toys magnets may attract to…
Tesla makes almost 50% of the electric passenger cars sold in the United States. Recently, however, Tesla recalled more than 2 million of its cars. Previously, to no avail, federal regulators had pressed Tesla to update its Autopilot system, which can accelerate, steer, and brake by itself, and to make…
Recently, Baxter International, Inc. announced that its Novum IQ syringe infusion has the potential to provide an incomplete infusion. It issued an Urgent Medical Device Correction for the product. The company is developing a software upgrade to fix the problem. There have been no serious injuries reported so far. However,…
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently warned consumers that certain antiseizure medications can cause a rare but serious response called Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). When not diagnosed and treated rapidly, these can prove fatal. The affected seizure medications are levetiracetam (Keppra, Keppra XR,…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that a listeria outbreak arising out of stone fruit—nectarines, peaches, and plums—made people in seven states sick. Up to 11 people reported they became sick due to the outbreak. Ten of those people who reported their sickness were hospitalized while one…
The Supreme Court heard arguments related to a challenge to the bankruptcy deal that’s intended to compensate victims of highly addictive pain killer OxyContin. Based on the questions judges asked, court watchers believe the Court is split. The manufacturer of Oxycontin, Purdue Pharma, entered into a deal to pay billions…
Recently, manufacturer WanaBana agreed with the FDA to voluntarily recall all WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches because they have elevated lead levels. The warning asked parents and caregivers of children who consumed the pouches to contact their healthcare providers to get blood tests and advised parents not to buy…
The Joint Commission has released its data for the first half of 2023, and alarmingly, it shows that sentinel events are on track to surpass a record high found in 2022. Sentinel events are patient safety events that cause severe temporary harm, permanent harm, or death. If you or a…
Recently, Eli Lilly announced that it is planning a clinical trial of its diabetes drug Mounjaro in patients who are six years old or older that have obesity. In fact, according to a United States government registry, Eli Lilly is already underway with a Mounjaro trial on children as young…