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Sprue-like enteropathy is an intestinal condition involving chronic diarrhea, nausea, stomach severe stomach discomfort, and rapid weight loss.

Sprue-like enteropathy is a condition that affects the small intestine and can lead to malnutrition, chronic diarrhea, and weight loss. It has been associated with the use of certain drugs, such as the blood pressure medication olmesartan.

Sprue-Like Enteropathy

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A new study has revealed that Neptazane, a popular prescription drug used for the treatment of glaucoma, can cause some users to develop a serious and extremely painful skin condition called Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. This could potentially lead to some product liability lawsuits by individuals who used Neptazane and developed SJS.

What is Neptazane?

Neptazane (methazolamide) is a prescription drug that is often used to treat specific types of glaucoma and other ophthalmologic abnormalities. Glaucoma is a condition of the eyes that causes visual loss in one or both eyes by damaging the optic nerve. Fluid buildup behind the eye is the most common cause of this condition.

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Hundreds of consumers have filed product liability lawsuits against pressure cooker manufacturers in recent years.

Pressure cookers have been a staple in kitchens for generations, providing a quick and convenient way to cook meals. However, in recent years, a number of lawsuits have been filed against pressure cooker manufacturers, alleging that their products are unsafe and can cause serious injuries.

The lawsuits allege that the pressure cookers had a design defect which caused the device to malfunction resulting in severe burns to the user. The following is what you need to know about defective pressure cooker lawsuits.  If you have been injured by a pressure cooker, you may be entitled to compensation.

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Over the last 5 years, the size and scale of mass torts in MDLs (Multidistrict Litigation) has unprecedented levels. With over 250,000 claims, the 3M Earplugs MDL is now the single largest consolidated mass tort ever. Meanwhile, the Zantac MDL has grown to include over 140,000 claims.

Each of these massive MDLs is being overseen and managed by a single federal judge. This monumental feat of judicial administration has been made possible through the application of innovative new technologies and new judicial procedures such as electronic claims registries and administrative dockets.

Claim Registries and Administrative Dockets in Large MDLs

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Breast augmentation is the most prevalent cosmetic procedure in the United States, with estimates ranging that 1 to 3 million women have some type of breast implant. For years, there has been developing research about the possibility of implants increase the risk of certain cancers, but the evidence was considered too slim to create any action towards addressing the problem.

breast implant cancerNow, the FDA has finally issued a safety warning about the risks of using breast implants manufactured by the company Allergan. The warning requested Allergan to recall all of their micro-textured implants in the United States, citing new sufficient evidence showing a link between their products and breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). This recall will most likely cause a significant increase in breast implant cancer lawsuits, including class action lawsuits for medical monitoring.

The warning is not without precedent, as there have been similar recalls for Allergan breast implants in Canada, Australia, and France within the past year. However, the FDA was hesitant to issue on their own recall due to “insufficient evidence” that indicated a connection between textured implants and the rare lymphoma cancer. Despite this, hundreds of women around the country have been taking Allergan to court based on claims that their breast implants were the cause of their illness.

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Researchers from Louisiana State University’s Health Science Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital were given a five-year federal grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study whether muscle power training exercises can improve the walking abilities of children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Is this exciting? It really is.  Anything that can advance the ball for people with cerebral palsy is wildly exciting.

How will this study be conducted?

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Donald Trump’s hair reportedly turned orange by a Just for Men hair product.  This is probably a serious thing to Trump, but less so to the rest of us.

But there is a real concern about these Just for Men products.  An increasing number of men are reporting severe allergic reactions to “Just For Men” hair and beard products. The reactions include burning, difficulty breathing, dizziness, faintness, hives, rash, redness, scarring, and swelling.

The reactions are being reported not just by new users, but also by long-time users who had previously never experienced any problems. The hair product reactions are so severe that some users had to go to the emergency room, or even be hospitalized. Many users needed antibiotics and steroids to treat the reactions.

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medicationThe FDA has shut down 1,677 sites for selling counterfeit or substandard medication, or for selling drugs without appropriate safeguards. Other sites received regulatory warnings.

While the prices look good, you never really know what you’re getting.  These products can have too much or too little of the active ingredient that people need for the treatment of their disease, and some could have toxic ingredients.  Several of the sites had sleek interfaces and names that could easily be confused with legitimate pharmacies.  Walgreens-Store.com, for example – the drugstore chain is actually Walgreens.com.

Though many of the sites present themselves as Canadian, most of them are based overseas – China, India, Pakistan, all around the world.  The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy recently performed an analysis of over 10,000 websites and found that 97% did not fully comply with state and federal regulations. 88% didn’t require a valid prescription, and almost half of them sold medicines lacking FDA approval.

 

 

 

 

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A recall of one lot of Advance Pharmaceutical’s 81mg Enteric Coated Aspirin tables is being recalled as it may contain Acetaminophen 500mg tablets.

Affected by this recall is the over-the-counter drug product, Rugby label Enteric Coated Aspirin Tablets, 81 mg, Lot 13A026.  Packaged in bottles of 120 tables, the NDC code is 0536-3086-41, UPC code is 3 0536-3086-41 9, and the expiration date of 01-2015.

The recall was announced after a complaint of the error was reported.  Consumers may be inadvertently taking Acetaminophen instead of Aspirin, which may cause severe liver damage to those who take other drugs containing acetaminophen.

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Since its introduction to the medical world over 10 years ago, the da Vinci Surgical System has been hailed as a major advancement in patient care. A surgeon makes a small incision and uses the da Vinci camera and four robotic instruments to operate by remote control. Hysterectomies, prostate removal, thyroid cancer removal, and gastric bypass are among the most common procedures performed with the da Vinci System.

Though the system has benefitted many patients by offering less invasive surgical options with quicker recovery periods, a few distinct patterns of complications have also emerged. While no surgery can be made risk-free, we believe that the da Vinci System presents several increased risk factors to patients. These risks can be caused by design defects, inadequate surgeon education, manufacturing defects, and other problems that multiply the likelihood of patient complications.
The more prevalent complications include:

  • Surgical burns to organs and arteries
  • Tears or punctures to blood vessels, organs, and arteries
  • Sepsis
  • Excessive bleeding
  • Vaginal cuff dehiscence

Surgical burns to organs and arteries

There have been several cases that suggest using the da Vinci System is correlated to surgical burns. In March 2010, a 24-year-old female patient suffered severe burns to the intestines and to an artery during a hysterectomy. Her family’s lawsuit claims that a design defect in the da Vinci robot caused the machine’s electrical current to jump. This resulted in a fatal shock to healthy tissue. Additionally, the lawsuit states that the un-insulated surgical hands of the da Vinci robot contributed to the fatal injuries. The patient died two weeks after surgery.

Tears or punctures to blood vessels, organ, and arteries

Because the da Vinci System separates a surgeon’s hands from the patient’s body, there is an increased risk for slight tears or punctures to go unnoticed during surgery. There have been several fatalities and lifelong injuries because of minor nicks and scratches unknowingly inflicted by the robotic arms.

During a 2002 kidney cancer removal surgery in Tampa, the patient’s inferior vena cava and abdominal aorta were cut by the da Vinci equipment. The mistake was caught 90 minutes after the injury occurred after the surgeons abandoned the da Vinci System for a traditional approach. The extent of the injuries was not known after the operation and the patient died the next day.

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