The US Food and Drug Administration reported this week it has been notified that patients are developing a potentially deadly form of pancreatitis while taking the popular diabetes drug Byetta.

The FDA received six new reports. Two of the patients died and four are recovering.

Federal regulators are working with Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly & Co. to develop a stronger warning label for the widely used drug. Regulators stress that patients who exhibit symptoms of pancreatitis should stop taking Byetta right away. Those symptoms include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Regulators warn that it can be very difficult to tell the difference between acute and less dangerous forms of pancreatitis.

This isn’t the first time the FDA has addressed this problem. In October 2007, the FDA issued an alert that about 30 patients developed problems while taking the drug, though none of those patients died.

Earlier this week, a Virginia man filed a defective drug lawsuit in a California court alleging Byetta’s manufacturers failed to adequately test and monitor the side effects, and didn’t warn doctors or patients of the risk of developing pancreatitis.

A recent British study has found that the widely-used epilepsy drug Topamax® (topiramate) raises the risk of birth defects when taken by pregnant women. When combined with the drug valproate, the risk of the occurrence birth defects is even higher.

The results are still statistically uncertain because the study included only 203 women, but experts were not surprised with the findings because Topamax® has been shown to cause defects in animals.

Of the 203 pregnancies in the study, 18 ended in spontaneous abortion, five in induced abortions, and two in stillbirths. Of the 178 babies born, 16 had major birth defects. In three of those cases, the mothers had only taken topiramate and the other 13 involved topiramate and other drugs. Cleft palates or lips were present in four of the babies, an occurrence 11 times the normal rate of 1 in 500 among women not taking epilepsy drugs. Four male babies had genital birth defects, up 14 times the normal rate of 1 in 300.

Doctors urge epileptic women to continue taking the drug during pregnancy despite the enormous risks because of the danger of seizures on the unborn babies. Women who are taking the drug to prevent migraines should stop if they become pregnant or are planning to become pregnant.

The lawyers at Cappolino, Dodd & Krebs (experienced birth trauma and head injury attorneys) know how news of horrific medical mistakes by doctors and hospital staff can be found everywhere from newspapers and magazines to television and internet.

Even one story of a surgery gone awry can be enough to scare a patient out of a necessary procedure. However, there are steps that you can take to minimize your risk of wrong-site surgery and other avoidable blunders. Nick Avgerinos of InjuryBoard.com lists on his blog 5 tips for avoiding medical mistakes.

1. Check the experience of your doctor and hospital
Ask your doctor how many times they have done this procedure, and compare with other doctors. You can visit http://www.leapfroggroup.org/ to find hospitals ranked by specialty.

2. Tell everyone who you are and what procedure you’re having done
Avgerinos suggests you tell all doctors, nurses and other hospital staffers your name, date of birth, and procedure to prevent a confused hospital official from giving you the wrong medical chart.

3. Have your doctor initial your surgical site
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons asks its members to literally sign their initials on the surgical site before the operation to prevent wrong-site surgeries. This is a great tip for patients undergoing orthopedic surgery and other procedures where the reason for the operation is not visible on the surface.

4. Confirm the surgical site immediately before the surgery
Just to be safe, make sure that your surgeon knows the correct site before you enter the operating room.

5. Bring a trained proxy
Since you will likely be asleep during and just after your surgery, bring a friend or family member with you who understands your procedure and knows all of your personal information. They can help you check the initials on your surgical site, and answer any questions, and contact your surgeon or primary physician if necessary.

With our health care system overloaded and our doctors overworked, medical professionals need all the help they can get. You can use the five tips listed above to decrease your chances of wrong-site surgery and other medical mistakes.

If all else fails, remember that there are medical malpractice lawyers out there to help you seek the compensation you deserve.

The more we learn about the defective drug Trasylol, the angrier we become.

The drug, manufactured by Bayer, was used heavily during heart bypass surgery to reduce the need for transfusions and reduce bleeding beginning in the 1990s.

Since Trasylol is give during heart procedures, most patients don’t even know they were given the drug.

In January of 2006, it was reported that Trasylol may increase the risk of renal toxicity. Other reports link Trasylol with increased risk of kidney failure, cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction or heart failure), cerebrovascular events such as a stroke, encephalopathy or coma.

But Bayer kept the drug on the market until November 2007. The result of this delay is that as many as 1,000 people a month may have died  due to the use of Trasylol during coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

In February 2008, the New England Journal of Medicine published two studies, both confirming that Trasylol causes an increased risk of death and kidney damage compared to alternative medicines or no medicine at all.

Another article, published in May 2008, was actually funded by Bayer but withheld from the FDA! This study showed that the risk of death is 64 percent higher with Trasylol than less expensive alternatives.

If you or a loved one and an open heart surgery or valve surgery at any time from January, 1998 to the present, and had kidney failure or complications within 72 hours of their surgery, please call the defective drugs attorneys in this office for professional insight.

Two major studies of Bayer’s Trasylol prove that the anti-bleeding drug leaves patients more susceptible to serious side effects and possible death. After the deaths took place during a Canadian drug study, Bayer stopped selling Trasylol. Prior to Bayer’s withdrawal of Trasylol, the product had been available for 14 years.

Trasylol is administered in the surgery room to prevent bleeding during heart surgery, particularly bi-pass surgery.

During two studies, it was discovered that Trasylol increases the risk of death when given to patients undergoing heart surgery.

The first study focused on 10,000 patients undergoing heart surgery between 1996 and 2005. Within 30 days of the surgery, 6.4 percent of the patients who received Trasylol died. Within one year of surgery, 16 percent of patients who received Trasylol died.

When compared to the patients who were given different prescriptions, they found that the risk of death is 2.5 percent higher in patients who received Trasylol.

Bayer funded a second study. About 78,000 patients were studied from 2003 to 2006. The study found that the risk of death from Trasylol was actually 64 percent higher.

Both studies have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

During a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the effects of Trasylol, the investigating panel discovered that at least 2,000 patients a year die from taking Trasylol.

Bayer did not disclose the results of the study they funded to the FDA panel, claiming that the results were preliminary.

Due to the direct evidence that indicates Trasylol raises the risk of death. It is estimated that Trasylol is responsible for thousands of deaths every month it was in use.

If you or a loved one suffered serious side effects after taking Bayer’s Trasylol during heart surgery, contact a Bayer attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced Trasylol lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

Fentanyl is a medication that is prescribed to those with intense pain due to chronic or fatal illnesses. The composition of Fentanyl is similar to morphine and heroin, as it contains a synthetic opiate.

An overdose of Fentanyl will cause symptoms of respiratory depression and eventually respiratory arrest.

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) issued it’s second warning regarding the misuse of Fentanyl since 2005.

Both patient and doctor error have lead to numerous fatalities through the misuse of Fentanyl. The FDA has only approved the use of Fentanyl for those with chronic pain, who are already accustomed to the use of opioids.

In order for the patient to be accustomed to an opioid, they must have consistently used the medication 24-hours a day for a week or more.

The FDA has been alerted to physicians prescribing Fentanyl to patients with non-chronic pain. Doctors have prescribed Fentanyl to patients suffering from post-surgery pain, migraine headaches and those that have never taken an opioid medication.

Accidental overdoses of Fentanyl have also been linked to frequent application of the pain patches. Another common misuse is from allowing the Fentanyl pain patch to become hot, which increases the delivery of Fentanyl through the skin.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious or fatal illness from misuse of Duragesic or Fentanyl pain patches, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Duragesic attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced Fentanyl attorney will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

A second voluntary recall has been issued for Fentanyl pain relief patches. 14 lots of Actavis generic Fentanyl CII were recalled because of a fold-over defect that could possibly expose patients and caregivers to Fentanyl gel.

Exposure to Fentanyl gel may result in serious or fatal adverse effects, such as respiratory depression and overdose.

The Actavis recall follows the recall of all 25 microgram/hour PriCara and Sandoz Fentanyl patches. The PriCara and Sandoz Fentanyl patches were recalled because of a cut along the side of the Fentanyl gel reservoir, possibly causing exposure to the Fentanyl gel.

The lots affected by the recall include 25-, 50-, 75-, and 100-microgram/hour strengths. The lot numbers are:

• 27261 (expiration date 5/09)
• 27317 (expiration date 5/09)
• 27318 (expiration date 6/09)
• 27319 (expiration date 6/09)
• 27391 (expiration date 6/09)
• 27409 (expiration date 6/09)
• 27475 (expiration date 7/09)
• 27476 (expiration date 6/09)
• 27488 (expiration date 6/09)
• 27514 (expiration date 7/09)
• 27536 (expiration date 7/09)
• 27537 (expiration date 8/09)
• 27538 (expiration date 8/09)
• 27545 (expiration date 7/09)

Damaged patches should not be used under any circumstances. Damaged or cut fentanyl patches should be stored in a safe, tightly-sealed container, out of reach of children. To avoid exposure to the fentanyl gel, do not handle the patch directly. Do not re-use a container in which you stored damaged or cut fentanyl patches.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious illness or death due to exposure to Fentanyl, contact a Fentanyl pain patch attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced Fentanyl pain patch lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

Certain fentanyl patches are being voluntarily recalled after reports were made of deaths related to the use of the medication for pain management.

In the United States, all 25 microgram/hour Duragesic CII skin patches, which are sold by PriCara, and all patches sold by Sandoz Inc. are being recalled in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Duragesic and Fentanyl recall applies to Canada as well.

Check expiration dates on all Duragesic or Sandoz fentanyl patches. The fentanyl recall products that are affected have expiration dates on or before December 2009.

The recalled fentanyl patches may have a cut along the side of the drug reservoir within the patch. This could result in the release of fentanyl gel from the reservoir, possibly exposing patients and caregivers to the gel.

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid medication used for pain management. Exposure to the fentanyl gel may lead to serious and possibly fatal effects, such as respiratory depression and overdose.

Damage to the patch can be seen upon opening the sealed foil pouch that contains the patch.

Fentanyl patches that are cut or damaged should not be used. If contact with fentanyl gel is made, rinse the affected area with water. Do not use soap.

Damaged or cut fentanyl patches should be stored in a safe, tightly-sealed container, out of reach of children. To avoid exposure to the fentanyl gel, do not handle the patch directly. Do not re-use a container in which you stored damaged or cut fentanyl patches.

If you or a loved one has suffered illness or death as a result of exposure to fentanyl gel, you may be entitled to compensation. Please contact a Duragesic lawyer at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced Fentanyl attorney will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.