InjuryBoard Sarasota

According to a draft report from the State of Florida, the Sarasota YMCA is doing a poor job in their foster child program. The YMCA which contracts with the State of Florida Department of Children and Families, was criticized in the report for arrogance, defensiveness, and a retaliatory attitude toward those who criticize its programs. If true, this is disturbing news. The state run foster...

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The USDA is pointing its finger at a defunct Canadian company for the recent outbreak of E coli contaminated beef in the US. The company, Ranchers Beef, has been linked to E coli O157:H7 bacteria which has been linked to nearly 100 illnesses. This type of bacteria can cause diarrhea and dehydration, even death. The governmental agency has cautioned meat packing companies not to use products...

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In the last few years, we've seen a number of food recalls including peanut butter, spinach, lettuce, ice cream, and ground beef patties. These food products were either contaminated with salmonella or E coli bacteria. Recently, consumers have had to face another food safety issue dealing with the mislabeling or incorrect labelling of food products. There's been a spate of recalled foods due...

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Medtronic, the manufacturer of the Sprint Fidelis cardiac defibrillator a.k.a. pacemaker, knew that its medical device had problems with fractured lead wires last winter, according to consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. These defects were reported to the government last winter. According to Dr. Sidney Wolfe, the FDA had received 599 reports of defibrillator malfunctions as of January 10,...

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A female special education teacher has been accused of having sex with a 15 year old male student. She was released from the Orient Road jail on $7,500 bail. This most recent arrest comes on the heels of a report citing the alarming prevalence of sexual abuse among teachers and their students. The study and the arrest highlight the fact that children are often abused by authority figures...

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Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has written a letter to the FDA requesting documents about their monitoring and evaluation of Medtronic's Sprint Fidelis defibrillator. The Sprint Fidelis was voluntarily recalled after Medtronic disclosed that the Sprint Fidelis leads were prone to fracture causing defective operation of the...

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Five orthopedic implant makers, including embattled Medtronic, have received letters from the Securities and Exchange Commission indicating the SEC intends to investigate claims that the companies may have made improper payments to foreign officials. The companies who've received the letters are Medtronic, Zimmer, Biomet, Smith & Nephew, and Stryker. Medtronic, known for its cardiac...

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In the last two weeks, the FDA has issued press releases concerning food products that did not disclose ingredients that could cause harm to consumers. Lochmead Dairy has recalled half gallons of Lochmead Farms Country Fresh Chocolate Premium Ice Cream with code date June 22, 2008 because these products may contain undisclosed almonds. This past week, Shain's of Maine Ice Cream has recalled...

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According to a Wall St. Journal article, the Medtronic Sprint Fidelis defibrillator may pose more risk to the young than previously thought. The Sprint Fidelis has had problems with its lead wire breaking causing erratic jolts of electricity to the heart. The wire connects the defibrillator to the heart and is supposed to jolt the heart rhythm back into a normal rhythm. However, the device...

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In a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, MRSA infections cause more deaths each year than AIDS, emphysema, Parkinson's and homicide! MRSA, also known as Staphylococcus aureus, is a virulent drug-resistant bacteria prevalent in hospitals in nursing homes. The bacteria can be transported from infected patients to other patients through unsterilized equipment and...

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