Infusion Pumps Recalled by the FDA due possible Electrical Short

 Posted on July 12, 2013 in Defective Medical Devices

Pain medication is given to patients to relieve pain and to make patient care better. At times, medical devices are implanted in a patient's body that administers pain medication and can be regulated by the physician if necessary. This is beneficial to the person because it removes the concern of missing the time to take the medication or the possibility of taking the wrong dosage. But, when these implanted medical devices don't work properly, a patient's health becomes compromised.

The FDA recently recalled two such pumps: Medtronic SynchroMed II and SynchroMed EL Implantable Drug Infusion Pumps. The reported reason was for a potential short in the electrical wiring of the device. This short in the electrical currency could cause the devices to stall which could lead to a drop in the administration of medications. If this were to happen, a patient's could also experience withdrawal symptoms and or their symptoms of the underlying condition could return. This reduction in pain therapy could adversely affect the patient's health, which could lead to death.

The exact units in question are those pumps made between May 1998 through June 2013 and distributed from April 1999 through to the recall date which was June 2013. No course of action is required on the part of the patient, other than being advised to maintain regular follow-ups. If however, symptoms return, withdrawal symptoms occur or device alarms sound, your physician should be contacted immediately.

It is a scary experience for a patient to go through when medical devices malfunction. You expect to be able to trust the very medical device that's implanted to assist in recovery. If you or a loved one have been adversely affected by a faulty medical device, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact an Illinois defective medical device lawyer to discuss what course of action you could take.