Once again, the blood-thinning drug heparin has been linked to fatalities in patients. Five patients at Beebe Medical Center in Delaware fell ill after being treated with heparin IV bags. Two of the patients have died.

The IV bags contained diluted heparin that has been approved for a number of blood-thinning purposes. All five bags came from the pharmaceutical company Baxter International. This is not the first time that Baxter has been linked to heparin fatalities. In 2008, they had to recall thousands of cheap, tainted heparin products.

These two recent deaths have prompted the Food and Drug Administration to launch an investigation into the incident. So far, the FDA has not accused Baxter of distributing tainted heparin, nor have they implied that heparin itself may be less safe than previously thought. They said that it was only  “unusual” circumstances in the Delaware deaths that made them decide to investigate.

An independent lab is currently testing the Baxter heparin used at Beebe.

The Food and Drug Administration has announced that the deaths of two patients treated with possibly contaminated heparin may have been an isolated incident.

Five patients recently fell ill in a Delaware medical center after being treated with heparin IV bags supplied by Baxter International. Two of the patients, a 71-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman, have died, and a third patient remains hospitalized. These three people all suffered cerebral hemorrhages.

However, the FDA has found no evidence of contamination, nor have they received additional reports of fatalities or other serious injuries linked to heparin use. The FDA has determined that this incident alone is not enough to make any decisions about the production of heparin. FDA representatives have issued statements that patients should not worry about being treated with heparin.

Anyone who has suffered a defective drug injury should contact an experienced lawyer immediately as they may be eligible to receive compensation through a defective drug lawsuit.

A May 1 release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products.

The FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant.

One death, of a 19 year-old due to liver failure, has been reported to the FDA.

Other health problems reported include seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.

Liver injury, although rare, was reported by patients at the doses of Hydroxycut recommended on the bottle. Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.

Hydroxycut products are dietary supplements that are marketed for weight-loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names.

If you have been harmed by a dangerous or defective drug, you should consider seeking the professional advice of an attorney.