Manufacturer of Heparin Ceases Making Drug After Severe Allergic Reactions Reported
Article posted on:02/19/2008
As reported in the New York Times last week, a major maker of heparin, a blood thinner used widely in surgery and dialysis, has stopped making it after hundreds of patients reported severe allergic reactions to the drug, which is made from pig intestines. At least four people died. Although alternatives exist, doctors warned of serious consequences if heparin became truly scarce. Public health officials first noticed a problem late last year in four children undergoing dialysis at a hospital in Missouri. Within minutes of being injected with heparin, the children experienced serious allergic reactions. As officials investigated, they found a total of 350 reports of patients' experiencing problems after being injected with large doses of heparin made by Baxter Healthcare. Baxter supplies about half the nation's heparin. Most of the cases were reported in late December or January and 40 percent were deemed serious. Allergic reactions included difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating and rapidly falling blood pressure that in some cases led to life-threatening shock. Heparin is used in dialysis and is also used to prevent clotting in catheters, which 25 percent of dialysis patients have to use for treatment. The drug is also commonly used in heart bypass surgery. If you or a loved one have experienced a recent serious allergic reaction to Heparin, contact the lawyers at Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin & White for a free consultation.
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