Posted on August 11, 2013 in Food Poisoning

When it comes to medical devices that have been in the news, defective hip implants have been a constant player. Lawsuits surrounding hip implants have pointed out numerous weaknesses in the devices geared to help people, including complications requiring additional surgeries and even metal poisoning from implants that have broken down and released dangerous substances into the body.

A new lawsuit surged forth in July against Stryker, a company making hip implants that have been used across the country. This lawsuit was filed in Michigan by plaintiff Giniva Luque. The plaintiff alleges that she has had two different hip replacement surgeries, both involving Stryker hip replacement devices. Her hip implant surgeries happened in March, 2011, and September, 2012.

The patient, like many others who have raised concerns about the safety of hip implant devices, says that she experienced serious pain and discomfort in her body surrounding the area where the implants were added. Luque says she will have to schedule revision surgery for both hips to remove the faulty implants and put operable ones in instead.

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 Posted on June 16, 2013 in Food Poisoning

If you've had a hip replacement surgery in the last several years and you're experiencing pain or other complications, you may need to investigate hip product recalls. In January of 2013, the FDA issued a warning about faulty hip replacements for products using metal-on-metal in their design.

These products have been the focus of multiple recall efforts, starting in 2010 when 90,000 Johnson and Johnson Deputy Orthopedics products were realized to have early failure rates. Those particular products, of which 30 different varieties were made, had already found their way to hospitals and operation rooms around the world, affecting many people who had gone through hip replacement.

Metal on metal hip replacements can be dangerous if the metal products begin to corrode. Unfortunately, these particular models were corroding over the course of daily use, so patients were not to blame for any particular behavior that ignited the corrosion process. As the metals break down inside the body, metal poisoning can spread, damaging bones or soft tissue as it goes. Many people experience what's known as ARMD, or adverse reaction to metal debris. Each person can have a different reaction to the metal poisoning connected with ARMD, so patients concerned about this problem should set up an appointment with their regular doctor.

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 Posted on January 17, 2013 in Food Poisoning

A ventilator is a machine that assists people who are unable to breath by mechanically supplying oxygen and pulling out poisonous carbon dioxide. They can usually be found in intensive care units, emergency rooms, and when receiving healthcare at home. They can also be used during surgery for people who are under anesthesia, in case their heart is slowed too much. There are also manual units which are pumped during activities like CPR.

Given the uses of ventilators, the FDA has issued the highest class of recalls for two ventilator products. A Class I recall signifies that a medical product may cause serious injuries or death.

Ventlab, a corporation which manufactures ventilator products, had one of their manual units recalled by the FDA. The recall affects ventilators made during March and July of 2012. There is a defective valve which prevents patients from receiving oxygen, even though the bag inflates. Failures of this ventilator could lead to life-threatening situations including hypoxia, hypoventilation, and even death. This recall is on the heels of Ventlab issuing their own voluntary recall in July.

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