Triad Alcohol Pads Recalled After Reports of Deadly Bacteria Contamination
Despite the recall of millions of alcohol wipes, swabs and swabsticks by manufacturer Triad Group, new reports of serious infections and deaths continue.
Published 2011-07-25 · Original archive entry · Explore research explainers
PHILADELPHIA, PA, July 25, 2011
Despite the recall of millions of alcohol wipes, swabs and swabsticks by manufacturer Triad Group, new reports of serious infections and deaths continue. According to the Food and Drug Administration, these alcohol prep pads are used to disinfect the skin prior to an injection, but tests have shown that a large number of the pads are infected with a lethal bacteria Bacillus cereus.The pads were sold at Walgreens, CVS and countless other drug stores throughout the country. Prior to the recall of the potentially dangerous drug, the pads were also used at hospitals across the United States. If the reports are validated, use of the Triad alcohol pads have been linked to eight deaths, 11 infections and more 250 other cases of patient health issues.
The investigation into the Triad pad contamination began last fall in Colorado after two children contracted life-threatening infections after hospitalizations for leukemia and congenital heart disease. A study of 60 alcohol prep pads by the Children's Hospital in Colorado following the kids' infections found that 40 of the pads were contaminated with this particularly dangerous bacterium.
The Colorado study prompted a mass recall by Triad in January of 2011. While the recall sought to urge all consumers and hospitals to discard Triad pads, the information has not reached everyone. As recently as late June, a 66-year-old man used the pads for diabetes treatment and died as a result of Bacillus cereus bacterial infection. The investigation into his death is ongoing.
Another manufacturer, H&P Industries Inc., which does business with Triad, also recalled its povidine iodine prep pads after testing discovered another lethal bacteria Elizabethkingia meningoseptica. This bacteria is linked to meningitis and a flesh-eating bacterial disease.
If you or anyone you love has contracted a serious or fatal infection, especially due to the bacteria Bacillus cereus, after using alcohol pads, swabs or swabsticks, contact a personal injury lawyer immediately.
Website: http://www.myphillylawyer.com/