Pradaxa Injury - Boehringer Ingelheim plays dumb

     This month it seems I've written a lot about medical problems and medical lawsuits. And now I find myself writing about another miracle drug that has been proved to do more harm than good in a lot of cases. Before that though , I must clarify that I am not under no circumstance advertising these pharmaceutical products ,nor am I trying to give them a bad name. A lot of people have been taking them and it improved their condition, but however there is still a great number of patients who have been complaining of some serious side-effects. Side-effects that in some cases put their life in danger.

     Pradaxa is an anticoagulant mainly used for treating pacients with  atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that leads to abnormal heart beats. Without treating, atrial fibrillation could lead to blood clots and strokes so an anticoagulant drug could mean the difference between life and death for those unfortunate to have this condition. 



     Pradaxa was released in 2010 , brought on the market by   Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and it quickly gain popularity over its predecesor and competitior, Warfarin, mainly for being more user-friendly as the patient does not need to do regular blood test or have any food restrictions. 
     
     However, the magic did not last long after it have been reported that Pradaxa may have some fatal side-effects as severe bleeding injuries were in patients who were taking Pradaxa, injuries that sometime lead to death. FDA was flooded with reports of victims suffering from internal bleedings after using the anticoagulant drug and by the second  quarter of 2011, the number of deaths sky-rocketed to 117.
     Symptomes included: 

            • Severe headaches
            • Repeated nosebleeds
            • Constant fatigue
            • Weakening or swelling in the body’s joints, arms, hands, legs, ankles or feet
            • Feeling dizzy
            • Unusual bruises or bleeding, particularly in the gums
            • Vomiting blood
            • Coughing up blood
            • Menstrual or vaginal bleeding that is heavier than normal

      Keep in mind that the FDA approved Pradaxa in October 2010 and here we are, less than a year later , 117 people died.  
     Despite this,  Boehringer Ingelheim, the pharmaceutical company responsible for Pradaxa ,  dabigatran by its chemical name, indirectly dismissed any accusation, by saying that Pradaxa is as safe as any anticoagulant drug on the market and the risk it's similar for any other blood thinner. I must admit, I'm not a doctor,or a pharmacist, but seeing as Pradaxa's popularity was mainly based on the "user-friendly" part I'm a little confused of how this drug has the same potential risk of its competitors that require some serious medical tests before administering. But like I said, I'm not an expert.

      To make things worse, while other blood thinners drugs had an antidote, Pradaxa had no such thing even though this thing was actually marketed as a good thing. The logic? Pradaxa is better , more efficient and also easier to use. 

       And things go further . This year, in January, a study conducted by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic and involving 30514 patients proved that the use of Pradaxa lead to a 33 percent higher risk of heart attack. 

       Wasn't Pradaxa supposed to do just the opposite? 
        So, where's   Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals reaction? I guess as a cynical guy that I am the only thing I could do is point out the fact that maybe, striking deals with the victims cost a lot less than retreating the product of the market. 

         If what lead you to this article was the fact that you  or someone you know dealt with some serious problem because of Pradaxa the only thing I could recommend you is to seek the advice of a Pradaxa injury lawyer

Cerebral palsy lawsuits

What is cerebral palsy? 

  
          Cerebral palsy is the most common term when referring to a groups of conditions affecting nerves and muscle ergo impairing locomotor skills and muscle development.         Cerebral palsy is a noncontagious chronic illness and those affected by it are faced with very difficult challenges throughout their lives.



         This condition may occur from pregnancy up to the age of three and is mainly caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain hence the word "cerebral " ( the region of the brain affected) and palsy referring to disorder of movement.  Resulting limits in movement and posture cause activity limitation and are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, depth perception and other sight-based perceptual problems, communication ability; impairments can also be found in cognition, and epilepsy is found in about one-third of cases. CP, no matter what the type, is often accompanied by secondary musculoskeletal problems that arise as a result of the underlying etiology.

Who's to blame?

      While in some cases is really hard to determine the cause, usually it happens due to certain problems during pregnancy or complications at birth such as oxygen deprivation , hypoxia of the brain and birth trauma during labor and delivery. Study have shown though , that the primary cause would be a not easily detected infection in the mother during pregnancy. 
      Post birth causes include severe jaundice, lead poisoning, physical brain injury, shaken baby syndrome, incidents involving hypoxia to the brain (such as near drowning), and encephalitis or meningitis. The three most common causes of asphyxia in the young child are: choking on foreign objects such as toys and pieces of food, poisoning, and near drowning.   
      However, each year, thousands of cerebral palsy cases are caused by medical malpractice and negligence during pregnancy and delivery. A doctor may be responsible for failing to diagnose and treat an infection in the pregnant mother. 
     Human error can be found during child birth delivery in numerous forms, from failure to detect if the baby has enough oxygen to improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction. 

Who can file a cerebral palsy lawsuit?

     Every year,  numerous malpractice lawsuit are being filed against doctors thought responsible for birth injuries. In 2011 a family in Connecticut has been awarded  a verdict of $58 million dollars. A big sum you think? Think again. Cerebral palsy is a very serious condition and it affects the child for life making it extremely difficult for him to live a close to normal life without special and often expensive treatment.
Parents of an infant born with cerebral palsy have the right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit if they believe it happened at the fault of the doctor or someone in the delivery team.
It is true that nothing can change the harm done but the damages received if they win the case may give their child a chance for proper treatment .