Month: December 2010

FDA Announces Recall of 359 Million Abbott Glucose Test Strips

The recall applies to 359 different lots (as many as 359 million strips) of glucose test strips marketed under the following brand names: Precision Xceed Pro, Precision Xtra, Medisense Optium, Optium, OptiumEZ, and ReliOn Ultima. These strips are used with Abbotts blood glucose monitoring systems. The test strips being recalled may give falsely low blood glucose results. False results may lead patients to try to raise their blood glucose unnecessarily, or they may fail to treat elevated blood glucose because of a false, low reading. Both scenarios pose risks to a patients health.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends … Read the rest

New York City Not Liable to Bystanders Shot By Police During Daylight Exchange of Gunfire on Public Street

In the Court of Appeals decision in Johnson v. City of New York, 2010 WL 4720753 (November 23, 2010), five police officers got into a shootout with a robbery suspect at 126th Street and Lenox Avenue in Manhattan.

Plaintiff Tammy Johnson was playing with her 18-month-old daughter and socializing with neighbors on 126th Street near her residence when she heard gunshots, and she and her daughter took cover by lying on the ground behind an SUV. An errant bullet struck Johnson’s elbow, and she commenced a negligence action against the City on behalf of herself and her daughter.

A … Read the rest

Hospital Admissions for Dog Bites Increase 86 Percent Between 1993 and 2008

According to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) , on average 866 people had to go to the emergency department daily and 26 people were admitted to the hospital daily for treatment of dog bites in 2008. That is an 86% increase in 16 years.

The 2008 numbers are broken down into categories such as the age of the victim, the treatment necessary, and the hospital cost of treating dog bites. Seniors and young children were most likely to be hospitalized for a dog bite. For 65-84 year olds, there were … Read the rest

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to Get Involved in Improving Football Helmet Safety

Football helmet safety standards are currently set by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), a nonprofit corporation. The testing method used today is essentially the same as was established in the 1970s. The original goal was to prevent sudden death, skull fractures and brain bleeding in football, a goal that has been achieved. But the hot topic today in football is concussions, an injury todays football helmets cannot eliminate. The NFL acknowledged that the lack of a perfect helmet contributed to its decision to use big fines and the threat of suspensions to cut down on … Read the rest

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Advises General Rules for Holiday Safety

Trees, snow, lights, candles, trimmings, fires and paper are all signs of the season. They are also potential hazards. With safety in mind, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has posted on its website a pamphlet with highly useful information about enjoying these seasonal activities.

Holiday Safety

The pamphlet includes some General Rules for Holiday Safety, as follows: Keep matches, lighters, and candles out of the reach of children. Avoid smoking near flammable decorations. Make an emergency plan to use if a fire breaks out anywhere in the home. See that each family member knows what to do. PRACTICE … Read the rest