Microsoft word - june 2008 newsletter.doc

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Mid year review of Medical Legal News
Used with permission from
http://www.medical-legalnews.com
“A quality response
in a timely manner
• Los Angeles has filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Anthem made the difference
for my client. Thanks,
Katie” Bob Finnell
• Colonoscopies often miss flat growths on the colon wall that are 10 times more likely to be cancerous than polyps. Patients can contribute to a Roughly 42,000 nail-gun related injuries are seen annually in emergency rooms. A common complaint is that when the guns are in automatic mode — “contact trip” — they fire too easily. Wound costs are $338 million a year in emergency care, • A new study indicates that stimulant rehabilitation and workers’ compensation, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 2008- patients’ risk of abusing illegal drugs A report accuses pharmaceutical-maker Merck of downplaying the risks of painkiller Vioxx and of disguising studies so as to indicate that they were conducted by independent researchers. 2008-04-17. A study has found that bisphenol A, or BPA, which is commonly used in plastics, is harmful to the development of the brains and reproductive organs of children. At least one plastic company, Nalgene Outdoor Products, has stopped using the — National Toxicology Program, The New York PetSmart is being sued in a failure to warn case where a man became infected by a rare virus caught fr om a hamster. The virus was later passed to an organ recipient, who died as a result of the virus. — National Toxicology Program, The New York All 50 states allow minors to consent to sexual transmitted infection (STI) services. 2008-03-28. July 2008 ● Volume 1, Issue 1 ● DisceRNment, LLC ● (706) 636-5276 preemption theory (Colacicco v. Apotex and McNellis v. Pfizer). The parties had sued the makers of Zoloft and Paxil, claiming that these SSRI drugs needed stronger warnings about causing suicidal thoughts in patients. The court held that FDA-approved warnings are sufficient on medicines, and not subject to suits in state courts. Critics charge that the FDA bases its actions on data from drug companies, which may be slanted, and that plaintiffs must have redress through state • Hospitalized children are the sufferers of drug courts. Supporters say FDA approval is sufficient errors more often than was previously thought. and that confusion could arise with potentially About 1 in 15 children falls victim to an conflicted label requirements. Most experts saw the overdose or an adverse reaction, says a new case as a pharmaceutical victory and expect it to be • About 2,500 elderly people are injured by The FDA has raised the number of deaths from 19 escalators each year. The number of such to 62 that are believed related to contaminated heparin that was made at a Chinese facility. 2008- Pfizer has announced that patients who once used • More than 900,000 infants, one in 50, is abused the now-discontinued insulin inhaler Exubera are at or neglected each year in the U.S. 2008-04-03. an increased risk for lung cancer. One researcher believes other inhalers may confer the same risks. • India, Thailand and Singapore are reaping the benefits of American health “tourism.” An estimated 500,000 Americans per year seek inexpensive medical operations and treatments in foreign lands. The U.S. has 45 million citizens Novartis place warnings in CellCept and Myfortic drug information to inform patients about a without health insurance, which is believed to heightened risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a type of brain infection associated with these organ-transplant dugs. 2008- • The average person has about three unexplained pains, twinges or odd physical sensations per day. 2008-03-31. — Swedish Medical Center via Newscom Christmas 2004 ● Volume 1, Issue 1 ● Your Family’s Name ● (242) 555-0193

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