2012

This blog has already discussed the Food and Drug Administration’s intentions to review the safety (or lack thereof) of metal-on-metal hip implants, the installation of which has caused numerous problems in patients.  This report sheds further light on what led officials to this turning point. In February, BBC Newsnight and the British Medical Journal reported… read more

The safety of metal-on-metal hip implants has been called into question for quite some time.  The Food and Drug Administration is meeting today and tomorrow to query a panel of experts about such prostheses’ safety, but they were already concerned more than a year ago, as this report illustrates. In May 2011, the FDA issued… read more

With the Food and Drug Administration set to look into the safety of metal-on-metal hip implants, it’s important to look back on some of the events and research which brought us to this juncture. In March, researchers from Britain conducted a study that analyzed the National Joint Registry of England and Wales in order to… read more

Medical care can be expensive; that should go without saying.  But a new story illustrates that things might be getting just a little bit out of control. A foreign exchange student from Norway was reportedly bitten by a rattlesnake a couple months ago.  The individual sought treatment for that bite at a hospital, treatment which… read more

I have yet another vehicle recall to report to you, this time concerning a small set of vehicles that could endanger consumers should an emergency present itself. Navistar has issued a recall for some of their IC Buses, specifically models CE and RE of the model years 2012 and 2013. Each of the vehicles in… read more

A number of vehicles are being recalled for an issue that might be familiar to those persons who follow recalls closely. Coach & Equipment has issued a recall on a number of Phoenix transit buses that had Braun Century-2 or Vista-2 wheelchair lifts installed onboard.  Each of the transit buses will be of a model… read more

It’s been three years since the Food and Drug Administration was given extensive power to regulate the tobacco industry, and a new report discusses the many regulations that have been put in place since that time, as well as what we can expect in the future. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act put… read more

Numerous areas from across the United States have launched initiatives designed to teach people about the dangers of distracted driving, and these types of campaigns are especially important to teenagers, a demographic proven to be most at risk.  But perhaps those initiatives that are the most successful are also those that help researchers obtain information… read more

Recently, the news has been filled with stories of individuals who have been forced to suffer because their metal-on-metal hip implants failed.  This failure has been happening at rates far greater than would be acceptable to the medical community, and the problem became so rampant that recalls were issued. Now, the Food and Drug Administration… read more

Although many communities from across the country are doing what they can to get drivers to stop driving while distracted, certain locales have launched initiatives that are more detailed and complex than others. On June 15, officials from Old Bridge, East Brunswick, and Middlesex County in New Jersey got together to announce a multi-phase safety… read more

A blood thinner that could benefit those suffering from a certain heart condition has had its approval delayed for the time being by the Food and Drug Administration. The drug in question is Eliquis, which is jointly produced by Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb.  The drug aims to reduce the risk of blood clots which lead… read more

Construction safety is an important topic that all too often gets short shrift in the media.  Thankfully, a new report addresses the myriad concerns that construction workers might have, especially as it concerns rail worksites. Network Rail’s Safety Leadership and Culture Change aims to get industry professionals involved in a dialogue about how best to… read more