Baxter International Inc. has admitted medical care providers at a hospital in Delaware, as well as United States health officials, are investigating whether the deaths of two patients were caused by a brand of heparin blood thinners that Baxter sells in pre-mixed intravenous bags. Officials at the Beebe Medical Center in Delaware have suspended the use of Baxter’s heparin, a diluted form contained in pre-mixed bags used for a variety of blood thinning purposes, due to adverse reactions reported in five patients, such as internal bleeding in the brain.
These pre-mixed bags are different from the vials of heparin that were recalled last year. For example, the bags came from a United States manufacturer unlike the dangerous heparin that came from the China-based supply chain; in this incident, the active ingredients were supplied by Pfizer Inc. Results of product testing from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Baxter have revealed no problems and Baxter claims no similar incidents have been reported. The FDA further believes the situation was an isolated incident.
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