Medical Malpractice

• Boston Scientific's Taxus Stent

  Staff Writer | September 07, 2006 11:10 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  About 85,000 Taxus stents are being recalled voluntarily by Boston Scientific because of possible defects. Of the 42 complaints received, 30 systems showed actual performance flaws generally thought to be the result of excess heat being applied during the laser welding stage during the manufacture of the product; 200 Taxus stents were recalled earlier this month. In a meeting with the FDA in...

• FDA scientists conclude public health not adequately protected

  Staff Writer | July 22, 2006 6:20 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  The FDA's prime responsibility is to insure that the public is protected from unsafe drugs and medical devices. Recent studies suggest that the FDA is falling well short of it's goal. Even more surprising, these concerns have been raised from within the FDA itself.Today, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a survey noting that more than a third of FDA scientists said agency officials...

• Guidant Defibrillators

  Staff Writer | May 21, 2006 1:57 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Many of you have learned of recent problems associated with implantable cardiac devices. Guidant Corporation's implantable defibrillator has been associated with potentially fatal complications. As a result of negative publicity, Guidant created a panel to investigate complaints. The May 18 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine contains an early release of their findings. Of note,...

• Health Care Crisis

  Staff Writer | April 18, 2006 10:59 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  We have all read about rising health care costs. Insurance companies would have you believe the increase is due to high medical malpractice verdicts and unscrupulous trial lawyers. As a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice litigation and takes pride in representing the injured, it was with interest that I read the front page story in today's Wall Street Journal (April 18, 2006).The...

• Dogs smell cancer

  Staff Writer | April 15, 2006 9:17 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  As if we needed convincing, here's more proof that dogs really can be man's (and woman's) best friend. An article in HealthDay News reports a new study showing that dogs can detect lung and breast cancer in breath samples.Here's an excerpt:"When we heard anecdotally that there was a device out there that might be able to detect cancer at its earliest stages, before it even shows up on an MRI...

• FDA Announces New Program to Transform and Strengthen Medical Device Safety

  Staff Writer | January 30, 2006 7:30 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  In the wake of the recent and too-numerous-to-count recalls of medical devices, the FDA announced on January 20, 2006 that it is launching a new program to transform and strengthen the way it currently monitors the safety of medical devices after they reach the market -- both new technology and existing products.The FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health's (CDRH) Postmarket...

• Defibrillators and Pacemakers

  Staff Writer | October 02, 2006 8:51 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  On September 29, 2006, The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) finalized recommendations for revising the system used by industry, regulators and clinicians to monitor and publicize implantable-device performance problems. Key goals of the recommendations include:• improved recognition of potential device malfunctions• postmarket surveillance and reporting of any problems• communication among...

• Medication errors harm millions

  Staff Writer | July 22, 2006 5:57 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Pharmacists and physicians belong to two of the most trusted professions in America. We routinely follow our doctors advice regarding drugs they prescribe and then trust that our pharmacists will correctly fill the order. Unfortunately, many times our trust is misplaced. Today the Institute of Medicine released a report noting that medication errors harm 1.5 million people each year. The...

• Adverse Event Report on Defibrillators

  Staff Writer | June 16, 2006 3:51 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  MRL, Inc. and FDA notified healthcare professionals of a voluntary worldwide Class I recall of 580 AED20 automatic external defibrillators because of an intermittent electrical connection that could result in failure, delay in analyzing the patient's ECG or failure to deliver expected therapy and resuscitation of the patient. A Class 1 recall occurs when there is reasonable probability that use...

• Frivolous Litigation?

  Staff Writer | May 11, 2006 7:55 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Today's edition of The New England Journal of Medicine sheds light on an erroneous claim often made by medical malpractice insurance companies. The insurance community-- and the current administration--- has long claimed that high premiums are brought on largely by frivolous or unfounded litigation. Today's article should settle this issue once and for all.The NEJM (the world's most prestigious...