The commonality of adverse events

Adverse events are defined as complications stemming from a product designed to help others. These products can include pharmaceutical drugs or medical devices. Our staff at Gary C. Johnson PSC knows that these events are actually more common than you may think. Millions of people are affected by medical products every year and in many cases, patients have suffered severe injury or even death.

For pharmaceutical drugs, the Journal of the American Association states that here in the U.S., they rank No. 4 in causes of death. These drugs have led to problems that include the following:

• Excessive bleeding
• Damage to organs
• Complications in the patient’s medical issue
• Additional medical problems

Pharmaceutical drugs have also been found to cause defects in unborn children such as cleft palate, heart problems and other debilitating conditions.

The damage caused by medical devices can be just as devastating to patients. Metal hip replacements have been connected to metal poisoning within the body as well as early failure rates. This has created the need for additional surgery and medical treatment. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed claiming that blood clot filters have fractured and perforated veins, moved from their original location and even failed to stop the progression of blood clots. Metal vaginal mesh has been the source of pain and severe damage to dozens of women and allegedly has left them suffering with ongoing discomfort and complications.

Despite these adverse events, these products still remain on the market and many manufacturers put out marketing messages touting them as safe to use. For more information on this subject, please visit our web page.