Health

Is The FDA Doing Enough To Prevent Mesh Injuries?

by Nieves Young

Over the last couple of years, there has been a significant increase in the use of surgical mesh over the more traditional non-mesh surgical options. For quite some time, doctors have been using Surgical Mesh mostly to treat women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and SUI (Stress Urinary Incontinence). However, the surgical mesh is also used to treat men with hernia problems.

According to http://meshlawsuitclaims.com/trans-vaginal-implant-settlements-lawyer, as early as 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had sent warnings to doctors and members of the public concerning the use of surgical mesh. By 2012, the number of Transvaginal Mesh lawsuits filed against the manufacturers of pelvic mesh products had increased significantly. According to a majority of the cases, “the manufacturers had a legal duty of ensuring the effectiveness and safety of their products.”

FDA Public Health NotificationFor some years now, there are tens of thousands of women who have suffered physical injuries as a result of using Transvaginal Mesh. In addition to their physical injuries, they have also suffered emotional and financial distress. In fact, many women have had to undergo more complicated and expensive surgical procedures to have the mesh removed.

However, it’s difficult to know whether the FDA knew about these medical complications of Transvaginal Mesh products. For instance, why is it that these products were never studied for their long-term effects, and were still certified for used? These rise of Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit cases seems appropriate based on obvious negligence.

The FDA has, however, distanced itself from the issue claiming that it has done more than what they are reasonably supposed to have done. However, it is still important to know whether the FDA needs to be permitted to do more than they are legally supposed to.

The reason plaintiffs are winning millions from their Transvaginal Mesh lawsuits probably indicates that the FDA needed to have done a lot more doctor holding up mesh before allowing these products onto the market. For instance, Coleen Perry was awarded $5.7 million after suing Ethicon (a subdivision of Johnson & Johnson’s) for the debilitating pain caused by their mesh products.

Although, the manufacturers are to blame and probably a few doctors, the FDA needs to take the largest responsibility. The agency never took the time to review carefully or inspect the product before allowing it to be released to the public; hence leaving women forced to file a Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit.

This is an indication that the government is not doing enough to prevent medical malpractice. Of particular importance is the statement of the presiding jury in the case of Coleen Perry. In the decision, the jury agreed by awarding $5 million in punitive damages. This judgment was meant to punish Ethicon into acknowledging its illegal, unethical, and dangerous behavior.

Paula Munos: Woman Living With Recalled MeshFor a court-of-law to realize these facts, then it means that the government failed in regulating the way the products were manufactured, tested, and finally introduced to the market.

In order to deal with the escalating problem, it is important that in the meantime a ban be placed on the use of the mesh products. This will give the FDA, other government agencies, manufacturers, as well as the medical fellowship, ample time to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of these products. A Transvaginal Mesh lawsuit places such emotional burden on a woman that has already suffered a personal health trial. This issue has to become the woman rights issue of the 21st century!

MRSA Expands Into Communities

by neighbor

healthy communities

Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA or superbug, is a type of bacterial infection resistant to antibiotics.  You must be aware of all the mrsa precautions as the infection is resistant to amoxicillin, methicillin, oxacillin and penicillin antibiotics making it a challenge to treat. It starts off as a sore, pimple, boil or skin rash and escalates to potentially dangerous and sometimes fatal levels.

MRSA is a common bacterial infection affecting 2 people out of 100 with 1 out of three people being at a risk of infection. The infection does not cause serious problems but can be very problematic when mrsa precautions are not taken seriously. The community may confuse MRSA with common skin problems and even some people try treating the infection at home. However, people should watch out for the signs of MRSA and inform the community to avoid spread. Signs include boils, impetigo, pimples, wound infections and abscesses.

Why Inform The Community you Have MRSA?

MRSA is highly contagious

It is important to let those around you and those you associate with daily know that you have MRSA. First off, it is highly contagious, without implementing the correct mrsa precautions. Like any other skin disease, MRSA is spread through contact. Touching the infected individual’s skin, clothes, wounds and personal effects will lead to outright infection. To this end, the community needs to avoid coming into contact with the individual’s skin, personal effects or share sharp objects with them. But this is not possible without the individual informing the community of their health status.

Protect a wide population which is at risk

As mentioned earlier, 2 percent of the world population carries MRSA though not active in some cases. However, the infection can attack anyone, mostly those with weak immune systems, those in hospitals and health care centers, people with surgical woods and people with invasive devices like feeding tubes or catheters among others. You cannot risk having such a high number of individuals infected and thus the need to inform the community to take mrsa precautions.

Get help from the community and create awareness

You may feel stigmatized when the community avoids you based on the condition of your skin. The infection may be confused for another disease. It is only through informing the community that you will get people to understand you and even offer a helping hand. You will also help the community detect MRSA in the event that it infects one of them and you can also educate them on mrsa precautions and preventions. It can be detected through watching signs or by use of MRSA detection software. Like in many diseases, the community needs awareness to avoid creating havoc when a member gets infected.

There is a great YouTube video about this topic that can be found here.