Heparin used to clean intravenous lines has been linked to 11 deaths and more than 80 reports of harmful side effects, reports Bloomberg news. However, the problems may not all be caused by contaminated product, Karen Riley told Bloomberg. The heparin associated with two of the 11 deaths wasn’t contaminated, and the FDA can’t say conclusively say how many of the other deaths and side effects involved tainted heparin, according to Riley. Riley said the 11 deaths involving devices are “probably in addition” to the 81 [deaths associated with contaminated heparin], though some of the reports to the FDA are “very sketchy” and there could be “some minor overlap.”
So the jury is still out as to how much this affects devices and whether device makers should continue to recall products.
