Analysis Raises Questions about How Device Makers Label Patient Deaths
Medical device manufacturers are required to report any event that "reasonably suggests a device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury." Madris Tomes, a former FDA consultant, conducted an analysis showing that 4,000 patient deaths were labeled as “injuries” or “malfunctions” between 2011 and 2015. She says … [Read more...]
Fluoroquinolone Injuries are Among the Most Frequently Reported Drug Side Effects
According to a new report, antibiotics in the same class as Avelox (moxifloxacin) were the drugs most frequently associated with reports of persistent adverse effects in 2015. The report appeared in QuarterWatch, a publication of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. QuarterWatch reviews reports made to the Food and Drug … [Read more...]
Zithromax: An Overview of Potential Side Effects
Zithromax, known generically as azithromycin, is an antibiotic manufactured by Pfizer. It is used to treat bacterial infections such as pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and infections of the ears, lungs, sinuses, skin, throat and reproductive organs. Azithromycin is classified as a macrolide antibiotic and works by … [Read more...]
Advair Pneumonia Risks for COPD Sufferers
Advair, Symbicort Up Pneumonia Risks. Advair, Symbicort and other inhaled corticosteroids may increase the risk of pneumonia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by as much as 70%, according to a news study.  The study, conducted by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, was published … [Read more...]
CDC Warning of Dangerous, MRSA-Related Pneumonia in Kids
Fatal MRSA-Related Pneumonia In Children. Staph—a germ that generally comes in the form of pimples or rashes that heal on their own—has caused fatal pneumonia in at least 24 young and healthy people during the 2006-2007 flu season. US researchers—led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that doctors need … [Read more...]
MRSA Associated Community Acquired Pneumonia Has Researchers Worried
CDC Suggests That Community Acquired Pneumonia May Be More Common. Preliminary research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that community acquired pneumonia (CAP), which is caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium may be more common than originally suspected, including that caused by antibiotic … [Read more...]
Advisers Suggest Restricting Antibiotic
Benefits of an antibiotic linked to rare reports of severe liver problems, including several deaths, outweigh its risks in treating pneumonia but not less serious bacterial infections like bronchitis and sinusitis, federal health advisers said Friday. The nonbinding recommendations raise the prospect the Food and Drug … [Read more...]
