Medical device problems hurt 70,000+ kids annually

..”About one-fourth of the problems were things like infections and eye abrasions in contact lens wearers. These are sometimes preventable and can result from wearing contact lenses too long without cleaning them.”

..”Other common problems found by researchers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration include puncture wounds from hypodermic needles breaking off in the skin while injecting medicine or illegal drugs; infections in young children with ear tubes; and skin tears from pelvic devices used during gynecological exams in teen girls.”

..”The most serious problems involved implanted devices such as brain shunts for kids with hydrocephalus (water on the brain); chest catheters for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at home; and insulin pumps for diabetics. Infections and overdoses are among problems associated with these devices. Only 6 percent of patients overall had to be hospitalized.”

…”Malfunction and misuse are among possible reasons”

I read the article and then asked “AND”? There is so much more information that needs to be collected and compared.

… “is there damage with this equipment for children and adults?”

… “is there a difference between different manufacturers for the same types of equipment?”

…”what allowed 70,000 incidents to occur without having the root causes listed already?” …. yes I know there are patient and company privacy issues but that is not a good excuse!

So what would your next steps be?http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100726/ap_on_he_me/us_med_device_injuries_kids

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