Drug & Medical Devices

FDA taking action to protect women before using Essure contraceptive

After receiving thousands of complaints about Essure, the FDA has taken further action to restrict the sale and distribution of this form of birth control. Essure is a permanent contraceptive device, manufactured by Bayer, and is implanted into the fallopian tubes. The device consists of two metal coils, which, when inserted, cause inflammation. Scar...

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Off-label use of breakthrough cancer pain drug linked to serious opioid addiction and death

[caption id="attachment_9396" align="alignright" width="300"] Source: Subsys[/caption] Cancer patients who are receiving regular pain medication and management can sometimes still experience sudden, intense flare-ups called breakthrough pain. Subsys, a fentanyl-based pain relief mouth spray, was developed by Insys Therapeutics and approved by the FDA to treat the condition. The drug delivers a painkiller mist 100...

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Opioid-Related Car Accidents Are On The Rise

The opioid crisis is hitting Ohio especially hard. Abuse of prescription painkillers like fentanyl and oxycodone, as well as heroin, has risen dramatically over the past decade: In 2005: Approximately 15,000 deaths in the United States 500 deaths in Ohio In 2015: Approximately 33,000 deaths in the United States 2,700 deaths in Ohio Alarmingly, experts...

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5 Things You Need to Know About Hernia Mesh

Physiomesh®, a surgical mesh commonly used in laparoscopic procedures to repair hernias, was recently withdrawn from the market. The products may be off the market, but anyone who underwent surgery prior to the withdrawal could still be at risk of suffering serious complications and injuries. Here are five things you need to know about the hernia...

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Pelvic Organ Prolapse: What You Need to Know

What to know if you’ve suffered pelvic organ prolapse Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when an organ, such as the bladder, drops from its normal position and pushes against the wall of other organs and tissue. Though it is an important medical issue to address, the device commonly used to treat this condition poses serious...

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Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Linked to Aortic Injuries

Recent studies* indicate that users of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including Cipro®, Levaquin® and Avelox® are twice as likely to suffer from aortic aneurisms and tears of the aorta—the largest blood vessel in the body. Last year, doctors wrote more than 26 million fluoroquinolone prescriptions to treat common infections. Unfortunately, these antibiotics have been linked to...

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Jury awards $72M in J & J baby powder case

On Feb 22, a jury in Missouri awarded $72 million in damages to the family of Jacqueline Fox, a woman who died of ovarian cancer after using Johnson’s Baby Powder for genital hygiene for decades. Fox was just one of thousands of women from across the country who filed claims against Johnson & Johnson for failing...

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Essure Birth Control Under Fire

UPDATE (2/15/16) - Elk & Elk is now actively pursuing legal action for victims of Essure. Call 1-800-ELK-OHIO for a free consultation. Facing a wave of public criticism, Bayer has agreed to add warnings to the patient information booklet for Essure – a permanent birth control device consisting of coils inserted into a woman’s...

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Massive IVC Filter Study Underway

The Surgeon General estimates about one half million Americans are affected by blood clots annually and between 100,000 and 180,000 people die of pulmonary embolism (PE), a blood clot that travels to the lungs. To combat this problem, doctors implant hundreds of thousands of Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filters inside patients each year to...

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IVC filters: 4 things you should know

Each year, doctors implant about a quarter of a million IVC filters into patients at risk for blood clots. New studies have revealed serious dangers associated with these devices. Doctors usually treat blood clots with an anticoagulant, also know as a blood thinner. However, blood-thinning medicines are not safe for some people. If you are at...

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