People in Cleveland who have gone through or are planning to go through a medical procedure may be interested in a nationwide recall of Lidocaine HCL Injection initiated by Hospira, Inc. on Dec. 23. The pain control solution was found to contain a reddish orange particulate on the inner surface and floating in the solution.
The tainted solution may cause delay in therapy as fragments of the particulate may potentially obstruct infusion of the medication to the patient. Mechanical disruption of the tissue or local inflammation is a possible effect of free floating particles passing through a patient’s catheter.
Due to the reddish orange tint of the unknown substance, there is the possibility of an iron presence in a vial of Lidocaine HCL. Patients undergoing an MRI may be at risk for local inflammation and tissue trauma if iron is present as the strong magnetic field exposure could potentially cause the particle to dislodge and pull through tissue.
The recall of the medication was sent to distributors/wholesalers, medical facilities, hospitals and pharmacies across the U.S. There have been no reported incidents of harm concerning Lidocaine HCL so far. According to Hospira, the possibly toxic materials may have entered because of a supplier’s glass defect. Hospira has strongly recommended the return of existing inventory and discontinuation of use.
Unsafe products may expose users to danger as a result of faulty design or defects in manufacture. As Lidocaine HCL is sometimes prescribed to catheter patients for at-home use, a drug recall attorney may be able to initiate a product liability case and represent those who have potentially had adverse effects to the medication.
Source: Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, “Granuloma formation, implications for the pathogenesis of vasculitis,” Michael C. Sneller MD, 2002
Source: FDA, “Hospira Issues a Voluntary Nationwide Recall of One Lot of Lidocaine HCl Injection, USP, 2%, 5 Ml in 5 Ml Vial, Due to Presence of Particulate Matter”, December 23, 2013
