Heparin OK?
Heparin OK?
The Wall Street Journal (5/16, Favole) reported, "Baxter International Inc. said Friday it has determined that quality issues weren't involved in the deaths of two patients who took the company's heparin products." Based on "an array of forensic and analytical tests," the company stated that "the heparin products were pure and didn't contain any contaminants." The company received "reports last week that three patients at" the Beebe Medical Center in Delaware "suffered from intracranial bleeding," of which two died. Baxter "said the intracranial bleeding was a result of other complications...unrelated to heparin."
The AP (5/16) reported, "Baxter said it and the FDA launched a 'comprehensive' investigation following the reports." The "events at Beebe Medical Center are unfortunate, isolated, institution-specific issues," according to Camille Farhat, general manager of Baxter Pharmaceuticals & Technologies. The company "was involved in a heparin recall last year following several reports of adverse reactions." Bloomberg News (5/16, Larkin) adds that "Heparin vials and devices were tied to hundreds of allergic reactions and deaths last year because of a tainted ingredient manufactured in China."
Modern Healthcare (5/16, Rhea) reported, "FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley said her agency is still completing their testing" in response to the recent reports, "but thus far do not believe there is a quality issue with Baxter's premixed heparin supplies." A spokeswoman for the agency said "investigators inspected Baxter's facilities and tested heparin products there as well as samples collected at Beebe," MedPage Today (5/15