Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on May 17 issued a warning to patients and healthcare professionals on the risks associated with the use of unapproved or unauthorized devices for diabetes management, including continuous glucose monitoring systems, insulin pumps, and automated insulin dosing systems. The use of these…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 16 identified the recall by Ethicon of its Endo-Surgery and Endo-Surgery Endoscopic Curved Intraluminal Staplers with adjustable height staples as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because Ethicon confirmed that uncut washers in the staplers and malformed…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on May 7 issued a Safety Alert on the risk for premature battery depletion in nearly 132,000 biventricular and conventional cardiac resynchronization therapy implantable pacemakers by Medtronic. The FDA is aware of three patients in which a battery fully drained because of…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 6 identified the recall my Alpha Omega Engineering of its Neuro Omega System, including the Drive Headstage unit, as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because a design flaw in the device may connect two separate electrode…
Editor's Note Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) announced on April 30 that it had received Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for BD ChloraPrep skin preparation with sterile solution. This new product is the only fully sterile chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) antiseptic skin preparation commercially available in the US. The FDA’s…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on April 26 identified the recall of Edwards Lifesciences' Miller and Fogarty Atrioseptostomy Dilation Catheters as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of reports of difficulty in balloon deflation after deployment, which may lead to balloon fragmentation or…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 25 issued a Safety Communication on use of the Stryker Wingspan Stent System outside of approved indications. The Wingspan Stent System is used to open narrowed arteries in the brains of patients with intracranial stenosis who are experiencing repeated strokes.…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 23 issued a new draft guidance to help manufacturers avoid delays in preparing, planning, and executing voluntary recalls. The guidance includes recommendations in three areas: proper training of personnel thorough and organized record keeping written recall initiation procedures. The guidance…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on April 16 announced it is considering additional regulatory actions, including consulting with federal health experts for guidance, to reduce the risks of contamination and infections associated with duodenoscopes. The FDA is also working with manufacturers of disposable duodenoscopes that would make reprocessing…
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on April 23 announced new steps it will be taking to help reduce risks associated with surgical staplers for internal use and implantable staples. The proposed steps include: Reclassifying surgical staplers from Class I (low risk) to Class II (moderate risk). Issuing guidance to…