Tainted Drug Caused Allergic Outbreak
Reported December 22, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — The cause of an outbreak of severe adverse reactions that occurred at hemodialysis facilities across the country early this year has been identified.
Vials of heparin manufactured by Baxter Healthcare and contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) have been shown to be responsible for a widespread outbreak of adverse reactions to hemodialysis treatment that affected 152 people and covered 13 states.
Reactions to the contaminated heparin included facial edema, or swelling, low blood pressure, nausea and shortness of breath.
Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found of 130 adverse reactions, 128 occurred in a facility that contained OSCS-contaminated heparin. They also found out of 54 reactions, 52 occurred after the administration of contaminated heparin.
Heparin is a medication derived from pigs that is used to keep blood from clotting. It is often administered to treat blood-clotting disorders and to prevent clotting during procedures like hemodialysis and cardiac surgery.
SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine, 2008;359:2674-2684
