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Carbon Monoxide Keeps the Meat Red

Have you ever noticed how you steaks or hamburger meat start to turn brown or gray soon after you open the wrapping? However, the meat industry has an answer that’s causing quite a stir among consumer advocates. They are treating the meat with carbon monoxide which keeps that fresh red color in the

By The Legal Examiner

/ 21 Feb 2006

Medical Device Approved in Spite of FDA Objection

According to an article in the NY Times, “A top federal medical official overruled the unanimous opinion of his scientific staff when he decided last year to approve a pacemaker-like device to treat persistent depression, a Senate committee reported Thursday.The device, the surgically implanted vagu

By The Legal Examiner

/ 20 Feb 2006

Medtronic Continued Selling Defibrillators in Spite of Failures

Medtronic Inc. continued selling flawed cardiac defibrillators for two years after learning that some of them may suddenly quit working, according to company documents filed in a California lawsuit. After Medtronic last year recalled the devices, 19,000 people had to have surgery for a replacement,

By The Legal Examiner

/ 20 Feb 2006

Early Morning Fog a Hazard to Florida Drivers

The late winter/early spring in central Florida brings snowbirds and visitors alike to Florida for vacations and spring break. It also brings a rash of early morning car crashes. The combination of early morning fog, slick roads, and drivers new to Florida roads can lead to a spike in auto accidents

By The Legal Examiner

/ 20 Feb 2006

Will New Brake Lights Lead to Fewer Car Accidents?

In January, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the U.S. subsidiary of the German luxury car company a temporary exemption from U.S. automobile safety standards, allowing it to sell as many as 5,000 vehicles over the next two years that include brake lights that flash during emerg

By The Legal Examiner

/ 19 Feb 2006

Kava Kava Feels Good but May Produce Harmful Consequences

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers of the potential risk of severe liver injury associated with the use of kava-containing dietary supplements. Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant indigenous to the islands in the South Pacific where it is commonly used to prepare a traditio

By The Legal Examiner

/ 19 Feb 2006

FDA to Put Warning on Ortho Evra

The FDA will put a new warning on the Ortho Evra birth control patch in order to warn consumers and healthcare professionals that users may be at a much greater risk of blood clots when using the patch.Dr. Daniel Shames, director of the FDA’s division of reproductive and urologic drug products, says

By The Legal Examiner

/ 19 Feb 2006

In Wake of Taser Controversy, Manufacturer Opts for Shotgun Approach

With public uproar over taser misuse growing by the day, Taser International, the manufacturer of the controversial stun gun weapon is developing a new product line- a Taser shot gun The nation’s largest stun-gun manufacturer has found a new way to deliver electricity to the human body: a 12-gauge s

By The Legal Examiner

/ 19 Feb 2006

Guidant Offer to Fix Heart Stent is Inadquate

Guidant Corp.’s program to pay $2,500 to patients to replace a heart device that has had malfunctions is nowhere near sufficient to cover costs of the procedure. The offer covers only about 10% of the cost of the replacement procedure. How is this fair? How is this the right thing to do?

By The Legal Examiner

/ 17 Feb 2006

Website My Space fun for Kids but a Boon for Predators

The popular social networking website My Space, has experienced unprecedented growth in recent months. Kids and teens spend hours browsing the website talking to friends and meeting new ones. However, parents must be aware that sexual predators are using the site to make contact with these kids. As

By The Legal Examiner

/ 17 Feb 2006

Ortho Evra Patch Maker Says Blood Clot Risk Doubles with Birth Control Patch

Women who use the Ortho Evra birth-control patch face twice the risk of developing blood clots as those who take the Pill, the patch’s manufacturer said late Thursday, citing recent company-funded research.The finding comes from one of two studies comparing the patch and Pill, said Ortho Women’s Hea

By The Legal Examiner

/ 17 Feb 2006

Florida Legislature Considering Raising Driver Age Limit

The Florida Legislature is considering raising the minimum driving age from 16 to 17 years old. Citing the high incidence of crashes for 16 year olds, HB 975 would raise the age one year. Florida became one of the first states to begin placing tougher restrictions on novice drivers when legislators

By The Legal Examiner

/ 16 Feb 2006