defibrillator Tagged Articles

A patient an advocate a fixer

Posted: November 10, 2007 Pharmaceutical

When it comes to her health, Laurel Lewis is positively fearless. The 54-year-old Minneapolis woman has stared down a rare breed of late-stage cancer. And last year, she technically died after her heart stopped beating, but luckily her near-fatal attack

Defective Medtronic Sprint Fidelis lead fracture reports ignored by company

Posted: October 31, 2007 Pharmaceutical

Medtronic Inc. knew that its Sprint Fidelis Defibrillator Leads were fracturing at higher-than-usual rates for months. Yet, the company appears to have dragged its feet in getting the defective Sprint Fidelis Lead off the market.

Patients concerned about Medtronic Sprint Fidelis leads

Posted: October 30, 2007 Pharmaceutical

Patients who have been implanted with [Medtronic Sprint Fidelis Leads] are understandably concerned after learning that the leads have been linked to five fatalities. Some patients have undergone risky surgeries in order to have the leads removed after they malfunctioned.

Medtronic recall exposes gaps in medical safety

Posted: October 29, 2007 Pharmaceutical

In late January, something unsettling happened at the Minneapolis Heart Institute. On two successive days, patients came to the clinic after their heart defibrillators had jolted them with huge, unnecessary and painful electric shocks. One 65-year-old woman said she’d been

Heart device recall poses a quandary for patients

Posted: October 23, 2007 Pharmaceutical

On Sunday when Medtronic warned physicians to stop using a potentially faulty wire attached to its heart defibrillators, the company also advised patients to consult their doctors. On Monday, anxious patients were doing just that, causing some doctors’ offices to