FDA Warns Stress Test Drugs may Cause Heart Attacks

 Posted on January 03, 2014 in Defective Medical Devices

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that two chemicals that are used in heart stress tests can cause heart attacks and can also cause death. The chemicals, Adenoscan and Lexiscan, are both manufactured by Astellas Pharma US Inc.

Heart stress tests are performed on patients who are unable to exercise. When conducting a test, physicians inject the patient with the chemicals. These chemicals actually cause the heart to stress, allowing pictures of the heart to be taken to see where low blood flow is occurring and if there is any area of damage to the organ.

Adenoscan and Lexiscan actually dilate the arteries in the heart. This dilating causes the increase in the blood flow and this is how obstructions in the arteries are found during the test. But as the blood flow is increasing in the unblocked arteries, it is actually decreasing in the blocked ones and the FDA says this is what can cause a heart attack.

As part of its warning, the FDA said resuscitation equipment should be on site when testing is being done to a patient, as well as fully trained staff.

The FDA is also urging physicians to avoid using these two chemicals in patients who suffer from acute myocardial ischemia. This is a heart disease where the arteries are both oxygen-deprived and blocked.

According to the FDA database, which is entirely voluntary, there have been 6 heart attacks and 27 deaths in patients who were given Adenoscan; and 26 heart attacks and 29 deaths reported after patients were given Lexiscan.

If you have been injured from side effects caused from being prescribed a defective drug, you should contact an experienced Arlington Heights defective drug attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for pain and loss.