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Adverse effects and deaths reported with Methadone

Staff Writer — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:32:12 GMT

An article posted on WorstPills.org this month details new FDA warnings to consumers and health care professionals about the adverse effects of pain managing drug methadone.

Deaths and life-threatening changes in heart beat and breathing have been reported in association with methadone.

The professional product label, also known as a package insert, for methadone carries a black-box warning about respiratory depression and fatal heart rhythm disturbances. That warning accompanies this article. A black-box warning is the strongest type of warning that the FDA can request from a drug manufacturer and is usually reserved for those drugs that have caused death or serious injury to patients.
The full text of the FDA's public health advisory is available on the agency's Web site at http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/advisory/methadone.htm.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Energy Drinks May Increase Blood Pressure

Jenny Albano — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:20:14 GMT

Results of a study show that energy drinks may increase heart rate and blood pressure levels in addition to increasing energy. The researchers of the study are recommending that anyone who has high blood pressure or heart disease should avoid these beverages because their blood pressure could change and the drinks may change how effective medications are.

The drinks generally have high levels of caffeine and taurine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods like meat and fish that can affect heart function and blood pressure, the researchers said.

The researchers stated that they saw a significant increase in both blood pressure and heart rate in healthy participants while they were just sitting. The increase was nothing health threatening, but it could be for people with cardiovascular disease or those taking drugs to lower heart rate or blood pressure.

The participants consumed two energy drinks every day over a seven day period. Their heart rates rose from around 8% on day one to 11% on day seven. Maximum systolic blood pressure rose from 8% to 10% by the end of the study, and diastolic blood pressure went from 7% to 8%.

The American Beverage Association responded to this study by saying,
"While the amount of caffeine in energy drinks or coffee may cause a slight and temporary increase in blood pressure, it would have no greater effect than walking up a flight of steps, so singling out energy drinks in a unique manner, particularly when compared to a more commonly consumed caffeinated beverage like coffee, does not provide a full and proper context for consumers."

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Attorney Intends to Challenge Constitutionality of Wyoming's Recreational Safety Act

Staff Writer — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 07:36:28 GMT

The Wyoming Supreme Court has issued a ruling that could make it difficult for skiers injured on ski lifts to collect damages saying that the inherent risk that skiers accept while on a mountain includes their time spent on the chair lifts. "The court said that the use and operation of ski lifts may be an inherent risk also, 'although those questions must be decided by the fact finder based on the evidence presented.' "

Sharon Muller, of Hawaii, sued the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in 2001 based on claims that she was injured when her ski boot became caught underneath the ski rack of the Bridger Gondola and was subsequently dragged several feet resulting in a fractured tibia. A federal jury ruled against Muller in 2003. Muller appealed the verdict to the US 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver which asked the Wyoming Supreme Court to address whether Wyoming's Recreational Safety Act covers the risk of riding chair lifts in addition to skiing itself.

Muller attorney, William Fix, says that he intends to appeal the ruling in federal court and challenge the constitutionality of Wyoming's entire Recreational Safety Act.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Washington Women Mauled by Two Dogs

Jenny Albano — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:39:42 GMT

On Tuesday, August 21, two pit bull terriers came into a women's home through a pet door and attacked her while she was in her bed. The women was able to escape the dog attack after finding a gun and trying to shoot the dogs. Then she was able to make it to her car where she called 911.

The women who received the dog bites has been listed in critical condition after being taken to a Tacoma hospital. The pit bulls also killed a neighbors Jack Russel terrier after it entered the women's home during the attack. Officials think the Jack Russel came into the home when it heard screams from the women, and was then attacked and killed by the pit bulls.

Firefighters responded first, locking the dogs in the house, treating the woman and calling for an ambulance. Officers "had to pepper spray and fight the dogs until they were detained. We almost had to shoot them on site," Ed Troyer, the sheriff's spokesman, said.

It is not known why the dogs entered the home and what set off the attack, but either way the dogs have been sent to the human society and will most likely be put to sleep. Officers plan on talking to the dog's owner.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Cheyenne To Pass Cell Phone Ban

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:15:00 GMT

The Cheyenne City Council recently voted 7-1 to pass a ban on using cell phones while driving, with the exception of hands-free devices. But, until October 15, police will only enforce it if a cell phone is a contributing factor in a crash.

Officers are not going to stop vehicles with out-of-state plates, as its cell phone wielding driver would presumably be using the device to find his way around, said Councilman Don Pierson, the city’s former police chief.

On the other hand, local residents will be stopped, ticketed and fined," Pierson said.

According to Rick Kaysen, crews will be putting up signs at the city’s major entrances warning visitors of the ban.

An estimated 20 percent of drivers are text while behind the wheel, according to a Nationwide Insurance study last year. Among young people, between the ages of 18 to 24, that number skyrockets to 66 percent.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

McKesson Corporation to pay $13.25 Million in Settlements

Linda Snyder — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:51:44 GMT

McKesson Corporation has reached an agreement to pay $13.25 million in civil and administrative settlements with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and six U.S. Attorneys for failing to report sales of certain drugs to on-line pharmacies.

Did you ever wonder how illegal on-line pharmacies are able to obtain the drugs they sell to customers without a legal prescription? The answer is simple…they buy them from the drug manufacturers just like your regular corner drug store.

The problem is the drug manufacturers are violating the Controlled Substances Act by failing to report to the DEA any suspicious sales which include orders that are unusually large, unusually frequent, and/or deviated substantially from the normal pattern. By failing to report the sales to the on-line pharmacies, drug manufacturers are not only violating the Controlled Substances Act they are also contributing to the growing epidemic of prescription drug abuse.

"The abuse of prescription medications is a significant and growing problem, and there is an erroneous perception among our youth that the recreational use of these powerful medications is somehow safer than the abuse of illegal drugs such as cocaine, meth, and heroin,” said Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip. “Today's settlement makes clear that the Department of Justice is committed to doing its part to curtail illegal access to these dangerous drugs."

My question is what would motivate a drug manufacturer to report an upsurge in their sales? The money is pouring in, so why would they do anything to jeopardize this influx of revenue? The drug companies have no reason to comply until it hits them in the pocketbook and I suspect that while this $13.25 million dollar settlement stung a little, it was probably just a drop in the bucket compared to the profit they made before they got caught.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Linda Snyder

88 Died in Thai Plane Crash- Many Tourists Aboard

Jenny Albano — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 20:31:40 GMT

A plane carrying many foreign tourists crashed Sunday, September 16, in Thailand. The plane was trying to land while it was raining onto the Phuket, a small Thai island. The plane then split in to and burst into flames, authorities reported at least 88 people have died from the crash.

The budget One-Two-Go Airlines domestic flight OG269 was carrying 123 passengers and seven crew members from the capital, Bangkokm to Phuket, popular among tourists for its pristine beaches.

The plane crashed and then skidded off the runway, and then the plane broke in two. Officials think that the weather was a factor in the crash because visibility was bad when the plane was landing. The pilot was trying to make a go-around, but the plane lost balance and crashed.

One passenger said before the plane crashed he sensed that something was wrong. The passenger, identified as Sean, said that he heard a banging noise just before the plane went down. The passengers said they escaped the burning plane through the windows. Many said they feared the plane would explode so they ran as quickly as possible.

The health minister of Thialand said that that 60 bodies were retrieved quickly, but the rest took many hours to find. Out of the passengers on the plane 78 of them were tourists.

It is known that there were number of Americans that were on the flight. Four Americans were killed and at least one American survived. She is in a Thai hospital in stable condition.

This crash is the country's deadliest aviation accident since Dec. 11, 1998.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Airlines, Cruises, Buses, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Proposal Makes Regulating On the Job Toxin Exposure More Difficult

Kyle Bachus — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

In news that should surprise absolutely no one, political appointees at the Department of Labor, working in secrecy and over the objection of department experts, are trying to ram through a proposal in the waning days of the Bush administration which would make it harder to regulate workplace toxin exposure.

Sources told the Washington Post that the proposal, which was not disclosed in public notices as required and has not yet been made available to the public, calls for change in the way the government assesses workplace-safety regulations and “would also require the agency to take an extra step before setting new limits on chemicals in the workplace by allowing an additional round of challenges to agency risk assessments.” This extra step, George Washington University epidemiologist and professor David Michaels told the Post, “is a guarantee to keep any more worker safety regulation from ever coming out of OSHA… This is being done in secrecy, to be sprung before President Bush leaves office, to cripple the next administration."

This effort has been spearheaded by Deborah Misir, a former ethics adviser to President Bush and a deputy in the department’s policy office, who “did not consult scientific and workplace-risk-assessment experts in OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, according to sources briefed on her work.” When she did consult the experts, “they objected to the legality and substance of the proposal.”

No matter, the department simply didn’t include the proposal in its semiannual agenda, and as if by magic, the risk-assessment overhaul, which happens to benefit businesses who complain that the risk of workplace toxin exposure is overestimated, suddenly became top priority, vaulting over trifling matters like of reducing on-the-job deaths, injuries and illnesses caused by various toxins.

While it can be argued, as a consultant who worked with the department on a study of the risk-assessment process does here, that the changes in the proposal will cut down on bureaucratic red-tape and preserve jobs, the last-minute nature of the proposed regulation, after almost eight years of nearly total inaction, is suspicious, to say the least. Peg Seminario, director of health and safety policy at the AFL-CIO, related these suspicions to the Post: “They are trying to essentially change the job safety and health laws and reduce required workplace protections through a midnight regulation."

Thomas Connell

Summer Intern 2008

J.D. Candidate 2010

University of Colorado

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Kyle Bachus

Forest Service accepts responsibility for fire resulting from prescribed burn in Shoshone National Forest, Fremont County, Wyoming

Staff Writer — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:28:03 GMT

The Shoshone National Forest scheduled a "prescribed burn" or "controlled burn" of National Forest properties in and around Fremont County , Wyoming in approximately mid-May, 2006. The controlled burn became uncontrolled -- and several residences on private property were partially or totally destroyed. Other residences/buildings were burned on Forest Service lease lands.

The controlled burn program has been put on temporary hold, pending further review and evaluation from Forest Service officials, and the Forest Service has acknowledged that procedure must be reevaluated and that they have responsibility for what occurred. The admission by the Forest Service in this regard is unusual. Should those homeowners who lost personal property choose to file a claim with the US Court of Claims in Washington, D.C., pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, they will have 2 years from the date of the incident to file an administrative claim with the Forest Service, and then 6 months from any denial of the claim to file in Federal District Court.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Buying ED Products Online Can Be Dangerous

Jenny Albano — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:48:59 GMT

Men who look online for dietary supplement for erectile dysfunction should be aware that many of these products contain prescription drugs and other undisclosed ingredients.

"Many consumers perceive these products as completely safe because they are often sold with labeling, suggesting that they are all-natural alternatives to prescription drug products that have been approved by FDA for treating ED. But these products may be laced with potentially hazardous ingredients that aren't noted on the label," says Linda Silvers, leader of FDA's Internet and Health Fraud Team, part of the Office of Compliance (OOC) in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

Silver completed an Internet survey of these "dietary supplements" and found that over 1/3 contained undisclosed prescription drug ingredients or similar substances.

Six of the 17 products tested contained the active ingredient in Viagra, sildenafil, or other substances similar to sildenafil or vardenafil (active ingredient for Levitra). The undisclosed ingredients in these supplements can lead to serious side-effects for consumers.

People with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease are often prescribed drugs containing nitrates, and men with these conditions commonly suffer from ED, says Mark Hirsch, a Medical Team Leader in CDER's Division of Reproductive and Urologic Products. "Those are factors that doctors consider when prescribing approved ED treatments."

Sally Eberhard, Acting team Leader of OOC's Import-Export Team says that the FDA and U.S. Customs are working together to screen and stop these kind of shipments from entering the U.S. Also, the FDA is trying to come up with new ways to educate consumers about the risks of buying the sexual enhancement products on the Internet.

Here is a list of some of the products that consumers should avoid:
Actra-Rx
Actra-Sx
Libidus
Nasutra
Neophase
Vigor-25
Yilishen
Zimaxx
4EVERON
Liviro3
Lycium Barbarum L.
Adam Free
Rhino V Max
V.Max
True Man
Energy Max
HS Joy of Love
NaturalUp
Blue Steel
Erextra
Super Shangai
Strong Testis
Shangai Ultra
Shangai Ultra X
Lady Shangai
Shangai Regular, also marketed as Shangai Chaojimengnan

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano