Covidien Recalls a Bad Batch of Sodium Chromate Cr-51

Covidien’s subsidiary Mallinckrodt yesterday voluntarily recalled lot 370-9004 of its Sodium Chromate Cr-51 Injection. Post-market testing revealed that the drug had decreased potency. It is used diagnostically to determine red blood cell mass or volume, survival time, and blood loss evaluation. The use of the recalled product may lead to misdiagnosis and consequential stroke or embolus because of false low readings in red blood cell volume.

Mallinckrodt is perhaps best known in the litigation world for manufacturing the MRI gadolinium-based contrast agent known as OptiMARK, which causes Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis, NSF (also known as Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy, NSD) when used in patients suffering from renal failure. Those cases are pending in an MDL before Judge Polster in the Ohio federal court.