skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI' Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong, lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least seventeen states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Watchdogs Want More Oversight of Artifical Knees and Hips

play audio
Play

Tuesday, February 21, 2012   

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A new hip or knee joint can give Marylanders a new lease on enjoying the state's outdoor life, but there's a dark side to surgically-implanted medical devices, according to Consumers Union. The group says those devices are subject to almost no government regulation, testing or monitoring.

Lisa McGiffert, who directs the Consumers Union "Safe Patient Project," says seniors are especially at risk, since complications connected to artificial joints or heart stents can be more serious at that stage of life.

"Having to do any surgery when you're older is a dangerous endeavor, but having to do it over again if something goes wrong can really cause a lot of harm."

She says Congress should reauthorize the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act this year in order to maintain at least some medical device monitoring. The law requires manufacturers to submit their own clinical data to support their claims, and that they report incidents in which a medical device contributed to a death or serious injury.

In addition to medical device testing, another concern is the use of surgical mesh, which McGiffert says has been known to cause problems after surgery - and she says it's being used more often to replace stitches.

"It's placed internally, so that if it goes awry, it's very, very difficult to remove the mesh and can cause pain for the rest of someone's life."

She says more than 90 percent of medical devices do not require proof that they have been clinically tested and found to be safe and effective before being cleared by the FDA for distribution or sale. And according to the General Accounting Office, more than 700 medical devices are recalled each year.

Details about the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act are at 1.usa.gov/ACDxbv.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

Menhaden are forage fish species and filter feeders, each capable of filtering up to seven gallons of water per minute. (Photo of female Osprey with Menhaden/TRCP)

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

Environment

play sound

By Claire Elise Thompson for Grist.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for New Hampshire News Connection reporting for the Grist-Public News Service C…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021