January 9, 2008, from the
Oregon Health & Science University
Drug implicated in controlled doses to manage chronic pain and addiction
An OHSU study of sudden cardiac deaths in the
Portland metro area implicates the drug as a possible cause in a high
proportion of cases where it's used in controlled doses to manage
chronic pain and drug addiction
Continue reading "Methadone and sudden cardiac death" »
If a drug has a dangerous side effect, but nobody knew of the drug's problem beforehand, could a patient blame the drug company? Probably not.
What if the drug company knew about the adverse reaction, but the FDA did not think it important enough to tell consumers? That might be a different case, according to lawyers representing a Vermont woman who went into a hospital with a migraine headache and ended up with gangrene and an amputation of her arm where the drug was injected.
The case will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court soon following a multi-million dollar award against a drug company in a Vermont state court.
Continue reading "Woman loses arm after Phenergan injection but government says she can't claim damages" »
Five drugs received changes in their boxed warnings. Seven drugs had changes in their medication guides.
Continue reading "Advair, Symbicort, Naprosyn, Vicoprofen and others receive new prescribing info" »
FDA ALERT [08/12/2008]: FDA is notifying healthcare professionals of the risk of adverse injection site reactions in patients receiving naltrexone (Vivitrol). Physicians should instruct patients to monitor the injection site and contact them if they develop pain, swelling, tenderness, induration, bruising, pruritus, or redness at the injection site that does not improve or worsens within two weeks. Physicians should promptly refer patients with worsening injection site reactions to a surgeon.
Continue reading "Alcohol dependence drug, Naltrexone, can cause abscess, tissue necrosis" »
From the
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Adverse reactions to antibiotics send thousands of patients to the ER
Adverse events from antibiotics
cause an estimated 142,000 emergency department visits per year in the
United States, according to a study published in the September 15, 2008
issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Continue reading "Allergic reactions to antibiotics highest among young children" »
August 11, 2008: from the
Canadian Medical Association Journal
Proton pump inhibitors increase risk of bone fractures
Patients who use proton pump
inhibitors for 7 or more years to treat reflux, peptic ulcers and other
conditions are at greater risk of osteoporosis-related fractures,
according to a large observational study, of 15,792 patients published in CMAJ.
One medication class that may affect bone mineral metabolism is proton pump inhibitors, according to the study. This class of drugs inhibits the production and intragastric secretion of hydrochloric acid, which is believed to be an important mediator of calcium absorption in the small intestine.
Continue reading "Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium could increase osteoporosis" »
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FDA ALERT [08/08/2008]: The FDA is notifying the public of the risk of a rare condition of muscle injury called rhabdomyolysis, which can lead to kidney failure or death, when simvastatin is used with amiodarone.
Continue reading "Warnings on Zocor, Vytorin, Simcor, Cordarone, Pacerone" »
Letter sent by FDA to physicians:
FDA Preliminary1 Public Health Notification: Possible Malfunction of Electronic Medical Devices Caused by Computed Tomography (CT) Scanning
Date July 14, 2008
Dear Healthcare Professional:
This is to alert you to the possibility that the x-rays used during CT examinations may cause some implanted and external electronic medical devices to malfunction, and to provide recommendations to reduce the potential risk.
Continue reading "X-Rays, CT scans may affect implanted medical devices" »
FDA ALERT [7/8/2008]: FDA is notifying the makers of
fluoroquinolone antimicrobial drugs for systemic use of the need to add
a boxed warning to the prescribing information about the increased risk
of developing tendinitis and tendon rupture...
Continue reading "Risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture with large class of antibiotics" »
Jack Distribution, LLC. Issues a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of
Select Lots of Rize 2 The Occasion Capsules and Rose 4 Her Capsules,
Products Marketed as Dietary Supplements, Containing an Undeclared
Ingredient
Continue reading "Potentially harmful ingredient found in dietary supplement" »
Researchers discover paradox about general anesthesia: It can increase post-surgical pain
Continue reading "Can anesthesia increase post-surgical pain?" »
FDA ALERT [6/16/2008]: FDA is notifying healthcare
professionals that both conventional and atypical antipsychotics are
associated with an increased risk of mortality in elderly patients
treated for dementia-related psychosis.
Continue reading "FDA warns on antipsychotics for the elderly" »
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