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Birth Injury
Is it Malpractice When a Material Infection Causes Cerebral Palsy?
How Cerebral Palsy Affects Development of Children in Kentucky & Ohio
Kentucky Birth Injuries Caused by Obstetric Forceps
Pitocin and Kentucky Birth Injuries
Kentucky Birth Injuries Caused by Vacuum Extractions
Semi-Truck and Auto Accidents
Kentucky Car Accidents and Drowsy Driving
Cell Phones and Kentucky Car Accidents
Defective Maintenance Issues Can Cause Kentucky Truck Wrecks
Texting Ban on Kentucky Motorists passed by House
Dangerous and Defective Products
Drugs for Osteoporosis Prescribed Unecessarily?
Defective Children’s Products & Toys are Constantly Recalled
Food manufacturers make consumers responsible
Defibrillator recalled by ZOLL Medical Corporation
Medical Mistakes
Fewer complications from heart device specialists
Pain Pumps
Daubert Motion in Pain Pump Case Found for Plaintiff
Shoulder Pain Pump Manufacturer I-Flow Settles Lawsuits
Shoulder Pain Pump Manufacturers Have Been Silent
Pain Pumps: FDA Requires Warning that Use in Joint Causes Chondrolysis and Cartilage Damage
General
Yaz and Yasmin May Cause Stroke
Taking Yaz or Yasmin May Cause Deep Vein Thrombosis
Yaz Can Lead to Irregular Heartbeat
Hyperkalemia is a Potential Complication of Yaz Birth Control
Lawsuit Filed Against Bayer for Misrepresenting Safety and Effectiveness of Yaz
News
Roman Shades Sold by Pottery Barn Kids Recalled...
Advisory panel recommends ban on pain relievers...
Doctor investigated for Medtronic consultation...
FDA recalls Biosite Triage Cardiac Panel...
FDA warns of contaminated products...
FDA recalls contaminated pistachios...
FDA says stop using Hydroxycut now...
FDA discusses medical device controversies...
Library
Birth Injury
Cerebral Palsy can be Caused by a Maternal Infection
When Newborn Jaundice Becomes Serious – What Every Kentucky Parent Should Know
Cerebral Palsy’s Impact on the Development of Children in Kentucky & Ohio
Nothing is More Heart Wrenching Than Seeing The Consequences of a Prolapsed Umbilical Cord
Did You Know That Pitocin Can Cause Serious Birth Injuries?
Semi-Truck and Auto Accidents
Tired Truckers are a Danger to People on Kentucky Highways
Avoid a Kentucky Car Accident Caused by Drowsiness
Don't Ignore a Head Injury Following a Kentucky Auto Accident
Ten Factors That Can Lead to a Serious Kentucky Truck Accident
Cell Phones Are Blamed For Many Kentucky Car Accidents
Dangerous and Defective Products
Kentucky Lawsuits Filed Over Toyota’s Defective Accelerator Pedal
Fosamax osteoporosis drug prescribed when women only has osteopenia
Zicam cases in Kentucky and Ohio
Fentanyl pain patch being abused
Medical Mistakes
Common Drug Errors to Watch Out For
One in Fifteen Children Injured by Medicine Mistakes
One in 50 Heart Attack Victims Sent Home by Emergency Room Doctors
Surgical Errors Cost Billions of Dollars Every Year
How to prevent medical mistakes
Pain Pumps
PAGCL & Shoulder Pain Pumps: What a Recent Study Reveals
Recent News Regarding Pain Pump Cases
Pain Pumps Used After Knee Surgery Can Cause Damage
Know the Symptoms of PAGCL, Especially if You Used a Shoulder Pain Pump
Medical Studies Find a Link Between Pain Pumps and Chondrolysis
General
Signs and Treatment of Kidney Failure
Yaz or Yasmin Birth Control Can Cause Deep Vein Thrombosis
Symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism Caused by Yaz and Yasmin Birth Control
Fentanyl pain patch being abused
Attorney Ronald E. Johnson of Schachter & Hendy concentrates on legal issues regarding defective medical devices. According to the website, About.com abuse of the Fentanyl pain patch can be dangerous, and has killed 115 people in Florida. According to this website, drug abusers are using the slow-release form of the painkiller to get a quick high. The University of Florida (UF) researchers are warning against this trend because it's causing an overdose of the drug fentanyl which is 100 times more potent than morphine.The patch is usually used to treat postoperative pain or chronic pain conditions. The study's lead researcher is Bruce Goldberger, Ph.D., director of toxicology and an associate professor in the departments of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine and psychiatry in UF's College of Medicine. Dr. Goldberger says addicts are using the patch incorrectly. Used correctly, the patch transfers a controlled dose of fentanyl through the skin into the bloodstream over the course of a few days. By misusing the patch, the intensity has caused 115 deaths, according to records of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The study was presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence.
According to the study, people who died from overdosing on the drug were able to easily remove the full dose of fentanyl from the patch and take the entire three-day amount at once, either by injecting, ingesting or smoking it. In some cases, people sought a state of euphoria by applying multiple patches simultaneously and these people died.
Goldberger's team, which includes Mark Gold, M.D., a distinguished professor with UF's McKnight Brain Institute and chief of the division of addiction medicine, has been focused on the use and abuse of prescription drugs. In the past few years his team has seen increased abuse of methadone, and now fentanyl. Goldberger said it is important for doctors to inform the patient about this possibility when they prescribe the patch.
The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that Fentanyl skin patches are useful to provide pain relief for patients with chronic pain, but that health care providers and patients should be aware that deaths and serious problems have resulted from overdoses related to the misuse of the drug.
The FDA is investigating deaths and overdoses that have occurred with both brand-name and generic fentanyl patches. The brand Duragesic (fentanyl transdermal system), manufactured by Janssen L.P. of Titusville, N.J., was approved by the FDA in 1990. A generic version, manufactured by Mylan Laboratories Inc. of Canonsburg, Pa., was approved in 2005.
In July 2005, the FDA issued a public health advisory on the fentanyl patch. The advisory focuses on improving education about the signs of an overdose, proper patch application, drug interactions, proper storage and disposal of the patch, and safeguards for children.
The FDA warns that the powerful pain-relieving properties of all opiates are countered by significant risks of depressed breathing that can cause unexpected death. Signs of an overdose include trouble breathing or shallow breathing, extreme sleepiness or sedation, an inability to walk or talk normally, and feeling faint, dizzy, and confused. People who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical attention. Removing the patch won't reverse the problem; the drug is still absorbed into the body for more than 17 hours after the patch is removed.
Fentanyl patches should be stored in a secure place and kept out of reach of children. According to Duragesic's labeling, patches should be disposed of by folding the adhesive side of the patch together so that it sticks to itself. The patch should then be flushed down the toilet immediately upon removal.
To report adverse events related to fentanyl patch products, contact the FDA's MedWatch program at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call (800) FDA-1088. Fax reports to (800) FDA-0178.
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Schachter, Hendy & Johnson, Attorneys At Law
909 Wrights Summit Parkway
Suite 210
Fort Wright, KY 41011
Phone: (859) 578-4444
Fax: (859) 578-4440
Toll Free: (888) 606-5297
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Contact Us
Schachter, Hendy & Johnson, Attorneys At Law
909 Wrights Summit Parkway
Suite 210
Fort Wright, KY 41011
Phone: (859) 578-4444
Fax: (859) 578-4440
Toll Free: (888) 606-5297
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Pain Pumps
- Can pain pumps injure knees as well as shoulders?
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