Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on March 29 that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had issued an emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19. The FDA allowed for the drugs to be “donated to the Strategic National Stockpile…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on March 24 took action to increase US supplies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by providing instructions to manufacturers importing personal protective equipment (PPE) and other devices. The instructions to manufacturers clarify the types of PPE and devices they can import…
Editor's Note: The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on March 25 announced several actions it has taken in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These include: In response to the demand for hand sanitizers and their active ingredient, alcohol, the FDA issued guidance to alcohol manufacturers on how to incorporate…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on March 23 issued a Safety Alert to inform healthcare providers and patients of the potential risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus by the use of fecal microbiota for transplantation (FMT), and that the agency has determined that additional safety protections are needed.…
Editor's Note In consultation with clinical experts and in response to government guidance that hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) postpone elective surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) released a statement March 18 on how and when facilities should proceed with cases that should…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 6 identified the recall by Becton Dickinson (BD)/CareFusion 303 of its Alaris System Infusion Pumps and Modules as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of multiple system errors, software errors, and use-related errors. The errors can…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on March 2 announced that it had joined with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make more respirators, including certain N95s, available to healthcare personnel during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Currently, the majority of respirators are used in industrial…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on February 27 identified the recall by King Systems of its King Vision Video Laryngoscope Adapter (size ½) as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because all devices from the affected lots show a reversed image on the display,…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on February 25 identified the recall of Tytek Medical’s TM-317 PneumoDart-Pneumothorax Needle as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of blockage in the needles caused by the presence of adhesive from the assembly process. The company…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on February 19 identified the recall by Abbott Vascular of its NC Trek RX and NC Traveler RX Coronary Dilatation Catheters (diameter 4.0 mm, 4.5 mm, and 5.00 mm) as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of failure of…