On February 15, 2017, the FDA approved Siliq (brodalumab) to treat adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Siliq is administered as an injection. Siliq is intended for patients who are candidates for systemic therapy (treatment using substances that travel through the bloodstream, after being taken by mouth or injected) or phototherapy (ultraviolet light treatment) and have failed to respond, or have stopped responding, to other systemic therapies. Click title to continue reading...

A new study published by the CDC on February 15, 2017, reported that between 1996 and 2014, a total of 195 outbreak investigations implicated an imported food, resulting in 10,685 illnesses, 1,017 hospitalizations, and 19 deaths. Outbreaks associated with imported foods represented an increasing proportion of all foodborne disease outbreaks where a food was implicated and reported (1% during 1996–2000 vs. 5% during 2009–2014). Click title to continue reading...

On February 13, 2017, the FDA published its Drug Trials Snapshots Summary Report, which provided a yearly average of the diversity of participants in the clinical trials for novel drugs approved in 2015 and 2016. Until the late 1980s, clinical trials were conducted predominantly on men. It is important to test drugs on diverse patient populations because some drugs affect different patient populations differently. Click title to continue reading...

On February 16, 2017, Zimmer Biomet recalled its Comprehensive Reverse Shoulder System Humeral Tray Model 115340 because these devices are fracturing at a higher rate than is stated in the labeling. Fractures may result in revision surgeries which could cause serious adverse health consequences such as permanent loss of shoulder function, infection, or rarely, death. Click title to continue reading...

A woman suffered injuries to her knee, shoulder, and lower back. The woman was treated by a chiropractor for her injuries. Treatment for the knee injury included applying a cold pack to the knee. The cold pack was sitting out on the table when the woman arrived and was later placed on her knee. The woman’s knee felt cold when the cold pack was removed. Click title to continue reading...

A woman injured her back in a car accident. The woman sought treatment from a neurological clinic. The neurologist referred the woman to a surgeon. The surgeon performed back surgery on the woman. The neurologist and her physician’s assistant (PA) met with the woman in the neurologist’s clinic on several occasions for post-operative care. Click title to continue reading...

A woman riding as a passenger in her mother’s car was injured in a car accident when an uninsured driver ran a stop sign. The woman was taken by ambulance to the emergency room (ER). The ER transferred the woman to the hospital’s level 2 trauma center. The medical bill from the hospital was $47,203.00, which included $24,420.25 for the woman’s treatment in the hospital’s level 2 trauma center. Click title to continue reading...

As a special feature for our Premium subscribers we have included this feature containing illustrative interrogatories for a defendant physician in a medical malpractice action involving gestational diabetes. These interrogatories may be used to determine what information the defendant gathered as a result of the patient-plaintiff’s first visit. Click title to continue reading...