News tagged with 'Medications'

Johnson & Johnson is facing an expanded probe into its manufacturing practices after four recalls in seven months, the most recent at a Pennsylvania plant that makes Children's Tylenol products. The FDA tells parents to choose generics over Tylenol.

Expect a round of positive PR even though McNeil's Fort Washington, Pennsylvania manufacturing plant remains closed and the source and type of contaminant of childrens over-the-counter cold and allergy meds remains a mystery.

The FDA is taking its recall of children's Tylenol products one step further and advising parents to choose generic cold medications after an inspection report of the plant reveals lapsed quality controls.

Only one in five medication administrations was completely error-free finds this published Australian study. The culprit- interrutions.

Tylenol is removing 21 children's products from store shelves because of a bacterial contamination found in some of the inactive ingredients. None of the finished product reportedly has the bacteria, but check the lot numbers and return it for a new product.

The medical examiner will run toxicology tests on superstar, Michael Jackson, to determine if an addiction to pain and prescription medications led to his death.  The family lawyer says Michael was surrounded by enablers and that Jackson was "overmedicated".  

Drs. Margaret Hamburg and Joshua Sharfstein, both Harvard Medical School grads, have been chosen by President Obama to be the commissioner and deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.  They still must face confirmation hearings.

The Travolta family had largely kept quiet about their teenage son's fight with seizure disorder. He had also suffered from Kawasaki disease, which affects 19 out of every 100,000 children.

Manufacturers of over-the-counter (OTC) pediatric cough and cold medicines are voluntarily transitioning the labeling to state “do not use in children four years of age and under." Medications baring new warning labels will begin appearing in pharmacies and stores immediately, although, experts are still debating at what age they may be safe and effective.

The FDA held hearings today on whether children's medications for colds and cough should remain over-the-counter, and at what doseage. Physicians remain divided with many saying they should be recalled and made available by prescription only because they are untested.  

According to a study from Denmark, deaths from fever-related seizures in children are extremely rare. Parents should be reassured that death after febrile seizures, convulsions brought on by a fever in small children, can lead to a loss of consciousness and shakiness, but last a minute or two generally.  

Should there be a placebo pill to quiet an ill child? There is now.  A Maryland mother has founded a placebo pill company and soon parents will be able to quiet children into sleep by giving them a fake pill. But what are the ethical considerations?

Evidence is accumulating against the use of kids cough and cold medications. In CDC data, more than 7,000 kids were rushed to the ER. Data was collected  from 63 emergency rooms in 2004 and 2005.