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Consumers Need To Be Informed About St. John's wort and Cataracts

Eddie Farah — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:16:48 GMT

News is beginning to emerge in the popular media that the plant, St. John’s wort may, while being a cure for mild depression, not be good for our eyesight.

Research out of Fordham University finds that in the lab, hypericin, which is the active ingredient in St. John’s wort, may also make the eye susceptible to sunburn, even in visible light, which causes cataracts and macular degeneration. The herb is, in other words, phototoxic to the ocular lens.

If that is true we would expect to see the effects in a large population… and that is exactly what we are seeing.

Using data from the 2002 National Health Interview survey, researchers from the University of Alabama cross-compared St. John's wort use and cataracts and came away with a statistically significant result - participants with cataracts were 59 percent more likely to report SJW use for at least a year.

This is intriguing at the very least and should serve as a red flag for anyone turning to “Nature’s Prozac.”

Unlike medications, the FDA regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) makes the supplement makers responsible for ensuring it is safe before it’s marketed.

The FDA’s role is to monitor any adverse events that may crop up AFTER the supplement is on the market.

It seems a little like the tail wagging the dog, but the alternative is for the FDA to take on even more regulation, which would have to include aspirin and alcohol, as they both can present dangers if used irresponsibly. In other words, it is a slippery slope to have government regulation over dietary supplement, although no doubt this news will be used to make that case.

The best thing we can do is get the word out on Web sites that provide consumer information such as InjuryBoard, so that anyone who relies on St. John’s wort is an informed consumer.

In the meantime, if you take St. John’s wort, please have your eyesight examined regularly, and consider changing it out with other supplements that are also known to elevate mood.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Can Mold Kill? Parents Say Yes and File Lawsuit Against Hospital

Eddie Farah — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:44:31 GMT

Can mold kill?

The families of three young children say yes, and they’ve filed a lawsuit against St. Joseph’s Hospital accusing the hospital of failing to protect the leukemia patients from mold.

The Tampa, Florida hospital was undergoing an expansion in 2008. The suit charges that mold was stirred up during the construction and that the hospital should have known the children suffered weakened immune systems making them susceptible to infections.

Mathew and Karen Gliddon are suing on behalf of their son Mathew, age 5; Patricia Gunn on behalf of her daughter Kaylie, age 2; and Daniel and Mary Lynn Kesler over their daughter Sierra, age 9, according to the Tampa Tribune.

All of the children suffered acute lymphoblastic leukemia and were in the pediatric oncology section on the second floor of the Clyde Perry Cancer Institute.

Even though the expansion was going on on the ground floor, the lawsuit, filed by Steve Yerrid, said the children were exposed to spores and dust which are airborne infections. All three children developed an infection from the mold, aspergillus. The hospital did use barriers around construction areas and says it filtered the air and monitored ventilation systems.

In an e-mail, St. Joseph's spokeswoman Lisa Patterson said, "We take necessary measures to reduce infections throughout our hospitals."

All three children died in April and May of last year. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Florida, California Lawsuits Over Smelly Wallboard

Eddie Farah — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:31:00 GMT

Florida may be the first state but is likely not the last state that has sulfur-tainted smelly wallboard manufactured in China that has residents moving out.

A number of lawsuits are underway in Florida, the most recent filed in Miami claiming that a rotten egg small is corroding wiring in homes and electronics. A class-action has been filed on behalf of residents who claim the bad wallboard, installed during the building boom, is causing headaches and sore throats, as well as respiratory problems.

The Miami lawsuit estimates upward of 65,000 homes in the U.S may be affected and it names Knauf, a German manufacturer that hired subs in China to prepare the wallboard. Plaintiffs want to repair the homes or replace them, and relocations costs as well as to be reimbursed their personal property and for medical monitoring. No one knows if the noxious fumes are hazardous to humans.

The wallboard in question reportedly reacts in high humidity and isn’t that what Florida is known for? The builders in question Lennar Corp, a major builder in Florida appears to be cooperating to the best of its ability, but it’s a terrible problem for all around.

California is the latest state noticing the problem which may exist in tens of thousands of homes at the end of the day. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Fisher Price Recalls 1 Million Plastic Pre-School Toys

Eddie Farah — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:28:29 GMT

They are toys most parents are familiar with--Dora and Diego, Big Bird, Elmo.

But now Fisher-Price is recalling 83 different types, involving 967,000 plastic preschool toys because of lead paint.

The toys were made in China and sold in the U.S. between May and August. The problem was discovered internally then reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This is the first recall for Fisher-Price and parent company Mattel Inc. over lead paint.

Mattel is considered to be the industry standard in how to manufacture in China.

Parents are asked to return toys to the place of purchase and exchange it for a voucher for another toy.

About two-thirds of the toys are not thought to have even made it yet to store shelves. The company says that's why it is fast- tracking this recall.

See Mattel's website for pictures of the recalled toys. They also have a recall hotline 1-800-916-4498.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Winn-Dixie Recalls Prestige Chocolate Ice Cream Because of Mislabeling

Jenny Albano — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:08:48 GMT

Winn-Dixie Inc., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling Prestige Chocolate Ice Cream because of a potential mislabeling in packaging.

Some of the products may have the correct lid identifying the product as chocolate almond, but the "tub" is identified as only chocolate. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to almonds run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. Given this serious issue, the company decided to pull the product from all its stores and encourages customers with any concerns to return the product.

The ice cream comes in a 1.75 quart carton that has the code 12-356 and an expiration date of June 25, 2008 labeled on a white strip on the side of the carton. The labeling on the carton might read that there is only chocolate ice cream inside the carton, when there actually may be chocolate almond ice cream inside. The lid indicates that the contents are chocolate almond, but a consumer may not read the lid. So far no illnesses or injuries have been reported to the company.

The recalled ice cream was only sold and distributed in Winn-Dixie and Save-Right stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Gardasil and Lou Gehrig's Disease - Two Cases

Eddie Farah — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:31:59 GMT

Researchers believe that two separate cases of Lou Gehrig’s Disease in young girls that progressed rapidly following the Gardasil injection may be related to the cervical cancer drug.

More than seven million young women and girls have been given Gardasil vaccine in a three-shot series to protect against two types of virus that cause cervical cancer and two that cause genital warts.

In both cases the young women died and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease progressed rapidly. Merck, the maker of Gardasil does not believe the events could have been caused by Gardasil.

Here’s what we do know. Jenny Tetlock was 14-years-old. Months after her third and final booster for Gardasil, she tripped in gym class. Soon both legs and her arms became weak. She began to limp and had trouble gripping objects and she felt pins and needles in her feet. Her muscled atrophied.

Her parents tell her story on their web site Jenny’s Journey hoping others may report similar cases to them so they can make sure the cases are registered with the federal government.

Within a year Jenny was paralyzed, a quadriplegic and used life support to help her breath. The degenerative disease did not harm her mind, which Web MD reports was as sharp as ever before she died.

Another girl, 20-years-old, saw her ALS progress the same way within four months of her first Gardasil shot. She died 28 months later.

The link between the symptoms and the shot is very suspicious to researcher Dr. Catherine Lomen-Hoerth at the ALS Center at University of California San Francisco Medical Center.

First the symptoms progressed very rapidly, more so than in a typical ALS patient. Both girls had an inflamed spinal cord she said to doctors at the American Neurological Association.

More work is to be done. Young ALS patients will be compared to these girls. The adverse events reports will be combed further to see if there are any young women who reported ALS symptoms following Gardasil. So far there are none reported.

Jenny’s parents, Phil and Barb, both college professors, are asking anyone who visits their Web site in their daughter’s honor to forward any cases of muscle paralysis following a Gardasil injection to their Web site so they can make sure that it is registered on the federal VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System) Web site. They fear cases are underreported since VAERS is not generally known or easy to navigate.

And one doctor says he will now ask his young ALS patients if they received the Gardasil vaccine. He didn’t think to ask before, he says.

Our sympathies go out to the friends and families of these two young women.

Jenny was 15 when she lost her battle with the rapidly degenerative neurological disease on March 15, 2009. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Falling Television Kills Child

Eddie Farah — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:18:30 GMT

It was an incredibly sad story this week when little four-year-old Dymounique Wilson died after a television fell on her in her Jacksonville home. Wednesday night her mother, Samara Brinkley, put the little girl on her bed and as they watched television together, the mother dozed off.

“The only thing I heard was a boom, and when I woke up I saw the TV on her,” Brinkley tells Channel 4.

Apparently her Dora the Explorer book was on top of a heavy television which was on a stand and the little girl was trying to retrieve it.

Brinkley says she can’t sleep or eat since her daughter’s death.

Our condolences go out to those who loved this little girl. What a horrible tragedy and an accident.

“So I ask for every parent to please watch your children because this could have happened to anybody,” says Dymounique’s grandmother, Marrietta Brinkley.

She is right, it could happen to anyone and it does.

Just last week, a published study in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, looked at the number of patients under the age of 17 treated in emergency rooms for a furniture tip-over-related injury from 1990 to 2007. During that time, 264,000 injuries yielded almost 15,000 injuries. This is a significant increase in the number and rate of these injuries over eighteen years.

The majority - 75 percent of the injuries - occured to children six and under, and televisions were most commonly involved, in 47.4 percent of cases. The study concludes that the number and rate of injuries to children associated with furniture tip-overs is on the rise and that prevention is the first line of defense.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, you are advised to use anchors to hold television stands, bookcases and bureaus to the wall. You can use a bracket, screws and toggles. Some televisions even come with straps or hardware to secure them.

Heavy televisions need to be on sturdy furniture and pushed back far on the furniture. Do not store anything tempting for children like toys or a remote control on the top of heavy items like television sets or shelving.

The CPSC says dressers and cabinets should be stacked with the heaviest things in the bottom so the furniture is not top-heavy.

Another source of furniture injury can be those cribs that have been recalled because they are unsafe. Consignment stores and yard sales are a source of these recalled items even though the CPSC puts out notices online for recalled items.

A crib with any gaping holes, such as a floorboard that separates from the frame can cause an infant to suffocate. Please check the CPSC Web site before buying used furniture that your child will spend time in, largely unsupervised, such as a crib.

Ms. Brinkley is right – this can happen to anyone. Again, our condolences go out to the family. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Renew recall stops eye infection

Eddie Farah — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 22:52:42 GMT

Although scientists still are unsure what caused the spread of serious eye infections, but it appears that Bausch & Lomb Inc's global recall of ReNew eye product may have stopped.

CDC researcher do not believe improper lens hygiene practices alone are enough to explain the recent rash of fusarium keratitis cases

Fusarium keratitis was first reported in Singapore and Hon Kong resulted in the produce ReNu with MoistureLoc lens solution to be pulled in February. In May Bausch & Lomb Inc's issued a global recall.

164 confirmed cases of the fungal infection fusarium keratitis have been identified as of June 30 this year.

The CDC study reported infected contact lens wearers were "20 times more likely than to have used Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc lens solution than another solution. The CDC is continuing to monitor report of the infection however the threat to some 34 million contact lens wearers is very small. The study, which looked at samples of the solution from the factory, warehouse, returned bottles and other samples, concluded that the infection was not present in the solution, but most likely came from external sources, such as the users' home."

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14469709/from/ET/Eye infection outbreak stops after recall,/a.article".

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Ford Recall of 4.5 Million Vehicles Over Fire Danger

Eddie Farah — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:23:06 GMT

Ford Motor Company has issued its largest single recall in history this week alerting drivers to a fire hazard from a faulty switch. This is the eighth recall of the faulty Fords, this time involving 4.5 million vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that 16 million Ford vehicles have been recalled over the faulty switch in the past decade.

The problem switch is made by Texas Instruments. The cruise control deactivation switch can leak hydraulic fluid, overheat and then burn, risking fire, even when the car is parked in your garage. The Windstar vans have an elevated risk, said a Ford spokesman.

Ford says it did not use the controversial switch in post 2003-models.

According to the government, Ford drivers should look for anything that appears to signal a fire danger such as malfunctioning cruise control and brake lights, antilock braking systems and brake light warnings on the dash. Another warning sign is difficulty in getting the vehicle out of the park mode.

You can take your vehicle to a dealer for a complimentary installation of a fused wiring harness that eliminates the risk of fires, according to NHTSA. The safety recall should officially begin the week of October 26^th. Other resources include the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline a 1-888-327-4236 or http://www.safercar.gov.

Models included in the recall include: 1995-2003 Windstars, 2000-2003 Excursion diesels, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 F-Super Duty diesels, 1992-2003 Econolines, 1995-2002 Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Rangers and 1994 F35 motorhomes.

For the sake of your family, bring your vehicle in for the repair.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Florida Considers Banning Tanning Beds For Teens

Eddie Farah — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:42:00 GMT

It’s hard to believe that in the Sunshine State people pay to go into a tanning booth to get sun exposure. But they do, including kids who want to get ready for spring break or a cheerleading competition.

So state lawmakers have filed anti-tanning legislation that would ban those under the age of 16 from being able to go to a tanning bed. The law would go into effect July 1.

Needless to say, shop owners in the state fear an impact on their business and want the state legislature to mind its own business.

“God made us to naturally tan. If you were on an island, you would tan to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays,” says Brandi Botts of Tan Lines Studio in Cape Coral to First Coast News.

But lawmakers cite studies that show too much tanning, especially in young people can harm the skin and lead to skin cancer.

Naturally, people don’t like government intrusion in their lives. But experts are beginning to agree that the UV exposure from tanning beds are linked to an increase in the risk for melanoma by 75 percent – according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. The biggest risk is for those who first use a tanning bed before the age of 35.

The World Health Organization doesn’t believe tanning beds are safe for young people and promotes banning their use. The American Academy of Dermatology also believes their use should be restricted.

One girl puts it best in a blog- she knows from the location of the skin cancer she got in her 20s, that it could have only come from a tanning bed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah