Forensics Talk

FDA Was Slow To Inspect Producer of Tainted Syringes

Azstarnet.com                                                                                                

The Associated Press

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 02.26.2009

 

   RALEIGH, N.C. — A North Carolina syringe factory linked to hundreds of sicknesses and five deaths operated for almost two years without an inspection despite a series of complaints that its needles were dirty or its syringes filled with colored particles.

Court documents in the North Carolina case show the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspected the AM2PAT Inc. plant in December 2007 only after an outbreak of illness was reported by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention.

 

   Federal investigators contend that the company was so consumed with maximizing profits that it shipped syringes filled with saline and the blood-thinner heparin from a dingy facility without ensuring they were sterile.

 

     Authorities are now searching for the Chicago-based company's CEO Dushyant Patel, who was indicted last week. They believe he fled to his native India.

In 2007, before the outbreak of illness was traced back to the company's syringes, the FDA received more than a dozen reports of problems with AM2PAT's products. Some reported "orange specks" floating inside the unopened syringes, while others reported "yellow sediment" or "muddy brown" syringes filled with floating white specks.

 

     FDA records show the agency first received complaints of particles in AM2PAT syringes in November 2005. FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey said the company was inspected in January 2006 but then wasn't checked again until December 2007, a gap of 22 months... Read More

Falls Are Leading Cause of Injury to Seniors

 MedicineNet.com

by Kevin McKeever

     SUNDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Former first lady Nancy Reagan and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's grandmother have suffered recent pelvic and hip injuries. And on Friday, author Studs Terkel died, following reports that a fall two weeks ago had hastened his decline.

     Such news, experts say, should be a reminder to all about the need to help the elderly protect themselves against their increased risk of falls and bone injuries.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, one in every three Americans older than 65 experiences a fall, making it the leading cause of injuries to seniors.

To help prevent falls and bone fractures, the academy recommends that seniors:

• Have an annual physical and eye examination. Make sure any cardiac and blood pressure problems are fully evaluated.
• Consume a diet with adequate dietary calcium and vitamin D for good bone health. Do not smoke, and avoid excessive use of alcohol.
• Participate in an exercise program to maintain agility, strength, balance, and coordination.
• Maintain a clutter-free home with clear walking paths through rooms. Eliminate tripping hazards and install grab bars, handrails and other safety devices in appropriate areas, such as bathrooms and bedrooms.
• Wear properly fitting shoes with nonskid soles. Never walk about with only socks or stockings on your feet.
• Have adequate lighting in the home. Use nightlights between bedrooms and bathrooms. Make sure light switches are easily accessible by doorways.

-- Kevin McKeever

SOURCE: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, news release, Oct. 22, 2008

Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Ready for another gas tied to warming?

MSNBC

By Andrea Thompson

updated 5:38 p.m. ET, Thurs., Oct. 23, 2008

A potent greenhouse gas is at least four times more prevalent in the atmosphere than was previously estimated, a new study reports.

Using new analytical techniques, a research team in California made the first atmospheric measurements of nitrogen trifluoride, which is thousands of times more effective at warming the atmosphere than an equal amount of carbon dioxide (though carbon dioxide is much more prevalent, and therefore still the key greenhouse gas of concern in terms of global warming).

In 2006, the amount of nitrogen trifluoride in the atmosphere, which could not be detected using previous techniques, was estimated at less than 1,322 short tons (1,200 metric tons). . . Read More

China's Tainted Formula Shows Risks of Dairy Boom

ABC NEWS

China's tainted baby formula show risks of fast, poorly regulated growth of dairy industry

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer
SHANGHAI, China September 19, 2008 (AP)

Associated Press

 

     A generation ago, when today's new Chinese parents were infants, milk powder was so scarce that it was one of the top items requested from travelers visiting from overseas.

 

     A wide array of dairy products now lines supermarket shelves, and analysts say the boom has overwhelmed regulators. The discovery this week of an industrial chemical in baby formula and milk is just one symptom, they say, of unbridled growth in the dairy industry, where poor hygiene reigns and safety standards often go unenforced.

Authorities ordered testing of all dairy products and vowed to upgrade quality standards after four Chinese babies died and more than 6,200 fell ill from drinking formula containing melamine. Wider checks found the chemical in milk produced by several of China's biggest name dairy companies, according to Chinese authorities. . . Read More

Milk off Shelves as China's Safety Scandal Grows

ABC NEWS

By GILLIAN WONG Associated Press Writer
SHIJIAZHUANG, China September 19, 2008 (AP)

Associated Press

     China's food safety crisis widened Friday after the industrial chemical melamine was found in milk produced by three of the country's leading dairy companies — prompting stores, including Starbucks, to yank milk from their shelves.

The recalls come as evidence is mounting that adding chemicals to watered-down milk was a widespread practice in China's dairy industry.

Sipping from a carton of milk at a news conference, the chief financial officer of one of the companies, Mengniu, apologized for the tainted milk. But he insisted only a small portion of the company's inventory had been contaminated and said the tainted milk came from small-scale dairy farmers. . .Read More

The American Red Cross Urges Safety In States Affected By Flooding

 

Medical News Today                                                                                                                                                         

Main Category: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 23 Jun 2008 - 3:00 PDT

     The American Red Cross forges on with relief efforts as hundreds of thousands of residents in states across the Midwest continue to feel the effects of recent flooding, as some are allowed to return to damaged homes and many others remain in shelters. Along the Mississippi River, residents in Missouri and Illinois brace themselves as the river surpasses record flood levels and continues to break or compromise levees.

More than 4,000 Red Cross disaster workers are aiding relief efforts in eight states from Kansas to West Virginia. In preparation for potential flood conditions along the Missouri-Illinois border, 19 shelters are operating and thousands of meals and snacks have been provided.

In areas where flooding is likely to occur soon, it is crucial for residents to take action to get better prepared and be "Red Cross Ready": Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed... Read More

    

Tips To Help People With Diabetes Plan For Disaster

Medical News Today                                                                                 

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 24 Jun 2008 - 1:00 PDT

     Natural disasters in 2008 have proved that hurricane season isn't the only time a person should be prepared for the worst. That is why the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), and Eli Lilly and Company are urging people with diabetes to be ready in advance in the event disaster strikes.

Hurricane season, which began June 1, arrived in the midst of an already devastating year of natural disasters. Wildfires swept through Florida and California, floods struck Iowa, earthquakes hit China and Missouri and a record-breaking tornado season have all left millions without homes.

"When people think about preparing for disasters, they don't necessarily think of earthquakes striking Missouri," AACE spokesperson Victor Roberts MD, MBA, FACP, FACE of Endocrine Associates of Florida said. "But events like that and the recent tragedy in Myanmar serve as a painful reminder that disaster will strike at a moment's notice." Read More

Emergency Preparedness Tools To Enable Millions More People To Shelter In Place

Medical News Today
Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism;  Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 17 Sep 2007 - 2:00 PST

     Although the nation has invested billions of dollars preparing to respond to emergencies, current plans leave millions of Americans at risk because they do not account for critical problems people face when they actually try to protect themselves. To fix this fundamental flaw, The New York Academy of Medicine has released a report and tools -- available at http://www.redefiningreadiness.net/ -- that will enable households, work places, schools and early childhood/youth programs, and governments to anticipate and address problems they would face in emergencies. The tools are released during National Preparedness Month, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The report, "With the Public's Knowledge, We Can Make Sheltering in Place Possible", is based on two years' work gathering the insights and experiences of nearly 2,000 people who live and work in four communities around the country. It identifies serious and unanticipated problems that currently make it neither feasible nor safe for many people to shelter in place. In conjunction with that report, the Academy is releasing four Shelter-in-Place Issue Sets (in both Spanish and English) to help members of households and organizations recognize and address their own vulnerabilities in these kinds of emergencies. Sheltering in place means staying inside whatever building you happen to be in -- a workplace, school, store, or at home -- for a period of a few hours to several days in order to stay safe, even if that requires you to be separated from other family members... More

Energy-Efficient Device Could Quickly Detect Hazardous Chemicals

Medical News Today
Main Category: Medical Devices
Also Included In: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism;  Public Health;  Conferences
Article Date: 14 Jan 2008 - 0:00 PST

Engineers at MIT are developing a tiny sensor that could be used to detect minute quantities of hazardous gases, including toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents, much more quickly than current devices.

The researchers have taken the common techniques of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry and shrunk them to fit in a device the size of a computer mouse. Eventually, the team, led by MIT Professor Akintunde Ibitayo Akinwande, plans to build a detector about the size of a matchbox.

"Everything we're doing has been done on a macro scale. We are just scaling it down," said Akinwande, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science and member of MIT's Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL).

Akinwande and MIT research scientist Luis Velasquez-Garcia plan to present their work at the Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) 2008 conference next week. In December, they presented at the International Electronic Devices Meeting... More

Patients With Chronic Conditions Worsened By Lack Of Disaster Plan During Hurricane Katrina, Study Says

Medical News Today
Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters
Article Date: 21 Dec 2007 - 5:00 PST

     Inadequate disaster preparedness plans resulted in many people with chronic diseases having difficulty finding daily medications and physicians to manage their conditions after Hurricane Katrina, according to a report released on Monday by the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, the AP/Biloxi Sun Herald reports.

The study interviewed patients and health care providers from Biloxi, Miss., to Mobile, Ala., and found that patients with chronic conditions -- such as diabetes, hypertension and HIV -- had to focus on basic survival, and as a result, their diseases progressed, according to study co-author Errol Crook, chair of international medicine at the university. The stress of the situation, low supply of treatments and lack of healthy food recommended for people with conditions such as hypertension and diabetes all were contributing factors, the study found.

A co-author of the study, Martha Arrieta of the university's Center for Healthy Communities, said that usually disaster plans focus on acute illnesses, trauma and infectious disease. Because of this, patients with chronic conditions "are often left to their own devices after a disaster," according to the AP/Sun Herald. Arrieta said that stocking up on healthy food and coordinating efforts to distribute supplies more efficiently should be part of future disaster plans.

The study recommended that medical facilities and pharmacies improve disaster preparation, including stockpiling medicines, creating and practicing disaster plans, and sharing those plans with patients and surrounding health care facilities (AP/Biloxi Sun Herald, 12/18). 

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

   

       

   

Red Cross Aligns With CEOs for Stronger Disaster Preparedness

Occupational Hazards
October 4, 2007
By Laura Walter

     The American Red Cross and Business Roundtable announced a new Partnership for Disaster Response collaboration to accelerate on-the-ground relief and recovery activities following major national disasters.

“The business community, with its assets and expertise, should contribute to disaster relief, not only with money and products but with its greatest resource: hard working, dedicated people,” said Richard L. Keyser, chairman and CEO of Grainger and chairman of Business Roundtable’s Partnership for Disaster Response. “Expanding the Red Cross’s Ready When the Time Comes program, which trains employees to serve as volunteers during a disaster, is one way businesses can help the Red Cross provide solutions to people in crisis.”

The Partnership for Disaster Response collaboration includes several activities to help the private and nonprofit sectors work together to strengthen the nation’s disaster response system:

• Introduce new communications channels to improve the flow of information and efficiencies between the business community and the Red Cross;
• Share companies’ first-hand reports from disaster sites with the Red Cross to expedite relief and recovery efforts through the partnership’s Web site,
    http://www.respondtodisaster.org;
• Strengthen systems to match community needs with the resources companies can provide during a disaster;
• Enhance corporate and individual employee preparedness efforts by encouraging them to “Be Red Cross Ready”;
• Expand a model program to train employees to serve as Red Cross volunteers during a disaster; and
• Install a representative of the business community in the Red Cross’s Disaster Operations Center.

“Companies play a pivotal role in responding to disasters as we saw with the private sector’s unprecedented response to Hurricane Katrina,” said Harold McGraw III, chairman of Business Roundtable and chairman, president and CEO of the McGraw-Hill companies. “We are proud to support Mark Everson, the new CEO of the American Red Cross, and are encouraged that he sees business as a partner. We are confident that this initiative can serve as an important new model for public-private partnerships in disaster response, one that will strengthen our nation’s system for responding to communities in crisis.”
   
“The generosity of the private sector in this country is unparalleled,” said Everson. “The Red Cross is grateful to Business Roundtable for leading American businesses in identifying solutions to help prepare families and communities before disasters occur and in providing relief in the aftermath of disasters.”
   
The organizations also have developed resources to help individuals, families and companies learn how to improve their disaster preparedness plans. These resources are available on http://www.respondtodisaster.org and
  http://www.redcross.org/flash/brr/English-flash/default.asp.

The collaboration announcement, made Sept. 21, was timed with National Preparedness Month, a nationwide effort to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, communities and businesses.

    

A Clutter Filled House Can Harm Your Health

New York Times

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Published: January 1, 2008

          After the holidays, many shoppers load up their carts with storage bins, shelving systems and color-coded containers, all in a resolute quest to get organized for the new year.

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Nola Lopez

     The country’s collective desire to clean up is evident in the proliferation of organization-oriented businesses like the Container Store and California Closets. Reality shows like “Mission Organization” on HGTV and “How Clean is Your House?” on Lifetime feed a national obsession to declutter. The magazine Real Simple has even created a $13 special issue on cleaning house.

Getting organized is unquestionably good for both mind and body — reducing risks for falls, helping eliminate germs and making it easier to find things like medicine and exercise gear.

“If you can’t find your sneakers, you aren’t taking a walk,” said Dr. Pamela Peeke, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and the author of “Fit to Live” (Rodale, 2007), which devotes a section to the link between health and organization. “How are you going to shoot a couple of hoops with your son if you can’t even find the basketball?”... More

Red Cross Aligns With CEOs for Stronger Disaster Preparedness

October 4, 2007
Occupational Hazards

  By Laura Walter

     The American Red Cross and Business Roundtable announced a new Partnership for Disaster Response collaboration to accelerate on-the-ground relief and recovery activities following major national disasters.

“The business community, with its assets and expertise, should contribute to disaster relief, not only with money and products but with its greatest resource: hard working, dedicated people,” said Richard L. Keyser, chairman and CEO of Grainger and chairman of Business Roundtable’s Partnership for Disaster Response. “Expanding the Red Cross’s Ready When the Time Comes program, which trains employees to serve as volunteers during a disaster, is one way businesses can help the Red Cross provide solutions to people in crisis.”

The Partnership for Disaster Response collaboration includes several activities to help the private and nonprofit sectors work together to strengthen the nation’s disaster response system:

• Introduce new communications channels to improve the flow of information and efficiencies between the business community and the Red Cross;
• Share companies’ first-hand reports from disaster sites with the Red Cross to expedite relief and recovery efforts through the partnership’s Web site,
    http://www.respondtodisaster.org;
• Strengthen systems to match community needs with the resources companies can provide during a disaster;
• Enhance corporate and individual employee preparedness efforts by encouraging them to “Be Red Cross Ready”;
• Expand a model program to train employees to serve as Red Cross volunteers during a disaster; and
• Install a representative of the business community in the Red Cross’s Disaster Operations Center.

“Companies play a pivotal role in responding to disasters as we saw with the private sector’s unprecedented response to Hurricane Katrina,” said Harold McGraw III, chairman of Business Roundtable and chairman, president and CEO of the McGraw-Hill companies. “We are proud to support Mark Everson, the new CEO of the American Red Cross, and are encouraged that he sees business as a partner. We are confident that this initiative can serve as an important new model for public-private partnerships in disaster response, one that will strengthen our nation’s system for responding to communities in crisis.”
   
“The generosity of the private sector in this country is unparalleled,” said Everson. “The Red Cross is grateful to Business Roundtable for leading American businesses in identifying solutions to help prepare families and communities before disasters occur and in providing relief in the aftermath of disasters.”
   
The organizations also have developed resources to help individuals, families and companies learn how to improve their disaster preparedness plans. These resources are available on http://www.respondtodisaster.org and
  http://www.redcross.org/flash/brr/English-flash/default.asp.

The collaboration announcement, made Sept. 21, was timed with National Preparedness Month, a nationwide effort to encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, communities and businesses.

Stomach Flu Spread By Contaminated Computer Keyboards

Yahoo News
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter 1 hour, 5 minutes ago

   

THURSDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The highly contagious norovirus, often called the stomach flu, can be passed from one person to another through contact with commonly shared items such as computer keyboards and computer mice, U.S. health officials report.

   

The virus, which is common in winter and is the most frequent cause of outbreaks of vomiting and diarrhea in the United States, is often contracted in schools, at work and on cruise ships.

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on a norovirus outbreak at a Washington, D.C., elementary school last February in which some of the victims picked up the virus from contaminated computer equipment... More

Massive Wall of Water Expected to Slam East Coast of England

Fox News
Thursday, November 08, 2007

    

LONDON —  Thousands of people along the the eastern coast of England were told to evacuate their homes and move to higher ground Thursday ahead of a potentially devasting 10-foot wall of sea water predicted to slam the island nation Friday morning.

More than 10,000 homes and businesses are affected by the order, according to the British Environment Agency, which has issued seven severe flood warnings for people living on the Norfolk and Suffolk coast near Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn warned of potentially historic flooding in the next 48 hours.

In anticipation of the surge the Thames Barrier, which protects London from flooding, was to be closed Thursday night to cope with water levels four feet higher than usual.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown convened an emergency meeting of officials Thursday afternoon to coordinate potential mass evacuations and rescue efforts.

Officials predict sea levels will surge exceeding 10 feet above usual tidal levels as a result of an intense storm blowing winds in excess of 60 mph that are expected to funnel a wall of water from the North Sea between 7-9 a.m. Friday, London time.

A "significant tidal surge" will cause some areas to see the highest tides since 1983.

"It will run down the east coast of the UK, around the Dover Strait and back up around Belgium," according to David Briton, an official with the Metro Office. "It will be comparable to the floods of 1953, which were caused by a storm surge."

The 1953 floods, which were more severe than the ones forecast for Friday, claimed the lives of 300 people in Britain and thousands in the Netherlands. Damage to British property ran to more than $12 billion in today's money... More