According to a Cleveland Clinic analysis, drug coated stents increase the risk of dangerous blood clots four to five times more than the bare metal stents. The analysis covered 6,675 patients in 9 trials involving Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific.
All posts by Joseph H. Saunders
Get Out There and Vote
Today is election day across the country. Here in Florida, we have a tight gubernatorial race, numerous congressional races, a lopsided Senate race, and a handful of local races for the Florida Legislature and local judicial spots. However, the process only works if you exercise your right to vote. We’re all tired of the robo calls, the nasty tv ads, and the incessant spin. No one said democracy is perfect but it’s the best system going. Voting is more than a right it’s a duty for us who live in a free society.
FDA Warns Bausch & Lomb
In a sharply worded letter to the makers of ReNu contact lens solution, the FDA has rebuked Bausch & Lomb for failure to report some 35 cases of fungal infection in Singapore. The infections were reported to the Rochester NY based executives and an FDA inspection of the company’s Greenville, S.C. plant followed the fungal outbreak last May.
Bausch & Lomb’s Failure to Report
According to a federal warning letter, Bausch & Lomb, the maker of ReNu contact lens solution, failed to report more than 35 foreign cases of fungal eye infection. According to an Associated Press report, “Bausch & Lomb didn’t report the 35 serious injury reports by April 7, as required by law, after Singapore health officials had alerted the Rochester, N.Y. company, the Food and Drug Administration said in the letter. The reporting failure occurred after the company had suspended sales of its ReNu with MoistureLoc solution in Singapore.”
Foley Priest Abuser in Denial
The Rev. Anthony Mercieca has said he didn’t “abuse” former Florida Rep. Mark Foley. According to the 69 year old priest, it’s not unusual behavior for a Catholic priest to romp around naked in a hot tub with teenage boys. While his comments are incredible, they aren’t that uncommon for sexual predators. Most perps refuse to recognize the criminal behavior that they’ve perpetrated on their underage victims.
More Problems for Catholic Church in Florida
Within a week, the Catholic Church in Florida has been rocked by the revelations of two more sexually abusive priests and two other priests who stole millions from the collection plate. Rev. Anthony Mercieca, now 69 and living on the Maltese island of Gozo, recalls touching former Congressman Mark Foley but not abusing him sexually. Mercieca seems incredibly unmoved by the damage inflicted by his nude romps in a Florida hot tub. The other abusive priest, Rev. Gustavo Miyares apologized last Sunday to his flock in Hialeah but not to his victim.
Safety of Drug Coated Heart Stents Still Up in the Air
After the third day of Transcather Cardiovascular Therapeutics show, the results are still mixed regarding the safety of drug coated heart stents. The stents, manufactured by Boston Scientific’s Taxus and Johnson & Johnson’s Cypher, many experts agreed, there appears to be a long-term clotting risk compared with the use of older bare metal stents. Even some physicians have been reluctant in employing the medical devices out of fear of clotting complications. According to the NY Times article, “Reporting surprising findings from one of those studies, Dr. Alaide Chieffo, a researcher from Milan, said that Italian and German doctors who tracked more than 3,000 patients with drug-coated stents from 2002 through the end of 2004 found that the drug therapy widely thought to protect such patients from clotting had no beneficial effect after the first six months.”
Coumadin Gets Tougher Warning Label
Bristol Myers Squibb, the manufacturer of the blood thinning drug Coumadin, has strengthened its warning label concerning the dangers of potentially fatal bleeding. Coumadin, known generically as Warfarin, had previously cited a “risk of hemorrhage” and wasn’t highlighted in a black box.
Orlando High School Coach Arrested on Sex Charges
Orlando Christian Prep and former Bishop Moore High School coach Buck Lanham has been arrested on possession of child pornography as well as possession of marijuana. The high school coach could not be arrested for the other charge, having sex with a minor, because the statute of limitations had already expired. However, law enforcement officials believe there are other victims of Lanham.
Rep. Mark Foley Needs to Disclose the Identity of His Abuser
If Rep. Mark Foley was the victim of a crime, he needs to identify the perpetrator in order to protect other minors. It’s not enough that he’s disclosed that he’s a victim of sexual abuse, he needs to prevent future abuse by naming his accuser.
In all the political uproar, this message concerning the safety of our children has been lost. Just as the Catholic bishops thought first about protecting the institution, the Congressional leaders first considered their power and prestige rather than the safety of children.
That’s the real story and the tragedy of the Mark Foley saga.