The Henderson, Nevada-based Green Valley Drugs has announced the recall of every one of their compounded sterile items because of worries that said sterility cannot be guaranteed.  Were a patient to be exposed to a product that isn’t sterile, they might be privy to a potentially deadly infection.  No instances of such have been reported at this time.  Green Valley issued the recall after potential safety issues were identified while monitoring aseptic methods and workers in the clean room.  Available across the country, each compounded item should be returned to Green Valley.  They should not be given to patients.  If an infection or other dangerous incident develops in association with an already-administered item, prompt medical intervention should be given and a report should be made to the Food and Drug Administration’s MedWatch program.

Follow this link for more about the recall.

Millions of vehicles of various models and brands are being recalled because of an issue that could reportedly lead to the unreasonably forceful deployment of the side airbags on the passenger side.  The recall was issued by such auto giants as Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, and Honda and pertains to 3.3 million automobiles across the globe.  Apparently, the faulty passenger airbags were all supplied by the Takata Corporation.  The recall stems from the fact that the airbag can go off too forcefully, potentially causing metal pieces to cascade toward the footwell or the front windshield.  This is the latest in a continuing series of airbag woes for Honda in particular, as the company had previously recalled millions of automobiles because the front airbag erupted with too much force.

For more about the recalls, follow this link.

A recent incident in Hayden, Idaho has renewed warnings about the potential danger posed by the bristles of grill brushes.  A teenager recently required medical intervention after she swallowed one of these bristles, a phenomenon that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say all consumers need to be aware of.  Five instances of a bristle being swallowed after it fell off of a brush and lodged in a piece of food were reported last year, and the doctor involved in the aforementioned incident explains that a bristle can lead to a serious infection if stuck in the tongue, intestines, or esophagus.  To prevent an injury, the CDC asks brush owners to take a wet rag to a grill after brushing it so that fallen bristles can be swept away prior to grilling.

To learn more about the risks, click here.

The Food and Drug Administration has released its requested budget for next year, and the agency is hoping for $4.7 billion in order to ensure that food safety measures continue to evolve and protect consumers.  The Commissioner of the organization explains that although budget concerns are a reality across the board, the budget request reflects those areas that need the most attention.  For instance, the FDA is asking for nearly $300 million in order to help them implement the Food Safety Modernization Act and move toward a more preventative approach to foodborne illness and away from the current reactionary method.  The FDA also hopes to receive $10 million to bolster their ability to inspect production facilities in China.

To learn more about the budget, click here.

Police officers throughout California are targeting distracted drivers of all sorts during the month of April, and officials in the San Diego area are no different.  As part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, officers will be on the lookout for cellphone users as well as those persons who engage in other habits like personal grooming and eating.  The event coincides with a recent survey out of the University of California San Diego which showed 56% of respondents ages 30 to 64 using their phones in some manner at the wheel.  And many such persons did so even when transporting kids, something that worries a doctor behind the study.  She’s concerned that children will pick up such distracting behaviors from their parents.

Click here to learn more.

Hearts and Aubree’s baby socks have been recalled by Trumpette, a company based in Sacramento.  Around 33,000 pairs of socks are impacted by the recall, and each would have been sold across the country this past December, January, and February.  The socks, ranging between size 0 and 12 months, will have either a flower or bow on the toes.  Unfortunately, it’s possible for this section of the sock to come off, posing a potential choking threat if the child grabs ahold of it.  Parents can bring the socks back for a refund, but they might also elect to remove the bows and throw them out.  Eight detachment reports have been made, but no one was choked during these incidents.

For more about the recall, follow this link.

The California Highway Patrol has partnered with law enforcement agencies across the state to crack down on distracted drivers this month, and the first results of the effort are trickling in.  Since Distracted Driving Awareness Month began at the start of April, 200 tickets have been handed out by the Santa Cruz CHP alone.  That might not sound all that high, but a representative of the CHP stresses that it’s far greater than the typical citation levels during any other nine day period.  450,000 tickets were handed out for cellphone driving violations last year, with 57,000 of those coming from the month of April.  The crackdown has become a de facto annual tradition.

Click here for more about the ongoing effort.

A pedestrian safety campaign recently enacted in and around Washington D.C. has some people complaining about the graphic nature of the ads.  The campaign features a series of images emblazoned upon the sides of local buses.  They feature a photo of a face that has a tire track splashed across it.  Phrases found near the image explain that pedestrians can’t rely on airbags and that a person on foot can’t be fixed in a body shop.  Street Smart put together the ad campaign, and they believe that the eye-opening nature of the ads is essential to getting drivers and pedestrians to place more attention on safety.  They hope the ads can curtail the estimated 2,600 injuries and 90 fatalities that occur in D.C. every year.

For more information about the campaign, follow this link.

One would think that the Food and Drug Administration only approves drugs for use after they have weighed the results of all clinical trials conducted in regards to the medication.  But a new article shows that this isn’t always the case thanks to one big oversight:  when a trial has results that might be construed as negative, those carrying out the trial tend to hold that study back from publication.  As a result, only positive trials get widely reported, meaning that the FDA could have its hands somewhat tied by not being exposed to all available information.  An author describes how a campaign known as AllTrials seeks to change this potential publication bias by lobbying safety advocates and drugmakers alike to call for a change to the way things are done.  Two months ago, GlaxoSmithKline, a major drugmaker, signed a pledge to provide all trial data.

Click here to learn more.

The results of the National Occupant Protection Use Survey have arrived from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and they do a decent job detailing the areas of safety in which society has improved as well as those sectors where work still needs to be done.  Researchers compiled results by observing 38,215 vehicles at 1,356 intersections across the country.  The good news is that seatbelt use is on the rise.  91% of kids younger than eight were shown to be buckled in, and 94% of kids in that same age range were in the backseat.  However, those parents not concerned about their own seatbelts tended not to buckle their kids in either.  67% of the people that didn’t buckle up also failed to secure their kids.   And when kids were riding in the front seat, which is a no-no among young children, they were only buckled in 72% of the time.

Click here for more trends.

CE Tech Riser Cables that were only sold at Home Depot have been recalled by that Atlanta, Georgia-based company.  These 1,000 foot long gray cables are supposed to be self-extinguishing if a fire breaks out in the area, but these particular units apparently are not.  Because they fail to meet the necessary safety standards, a recall had to be issued in order to address the potential fire hazard.  11,300 or so cables are affected by the recall, and each cost about $100 when they on sale during the first two months of this year.  The cables, which run between floors on multi-story office buildings, should be removed and brought back to the Home Depot, where a refund will be provided.

Click here to learn more about the recall.

A ban on texting and driving in the state of Florida has cleared initial hurdles and now looks ready to be considered in front of both the House and the Senate.  Last week, the measure was approved by House Committees, and yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee gave their approval to the matter.  If the two legislative bodies opt to pass the bill, the Governor has reportedly stated his intention to affix his signature to the measure.  The texting ban has a few exemptions:  red light and hands-free texting will be allowed, as will communications with emergency officials.  Drivers can also still use their phones for a variety of apps, such as radio, weather, and GPS.

Click here for more about the proposed ban.

As part of their bid to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act that was passed back in 2010, the Food and Drug Administration has introduced new rules that aim to improve the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables.  But a new report shows that not everyone is happy with the new rules, tree farmers in particular.  Growers of apples and bananas argue that the FDA needs to place more emphasis on things like cantaloupes and spinach, as these foods have been far more commonly linked with foodborne illness.  The farmers fret that the cost of increased irrigation, sanitation, and preventing animals from gaining access to fruit areas wouldn’t be worth the scant benefit to safety.  But the FDA stresses that this is just the first step in what could be a long process to make food safer.

For more about the debate, click here.

More and more people are growing concerned that the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System is putting certain patients in danger.  Citing a rash of problems occurring while these items were being used during surgical procedures, the Food and Drug Administration will be looking closer at the robots to determine if unwarranted risks exist.  Five fatalities have been reported in conjunction with the da Vinci since the beginning of 2012, and other incidents have also come to the fore.  Some medical professionals think that more research should be conducted to determine if the item from the Sunnyvale, California-based Intuitive Surgical is as effective as a regular surgeon.  Amid the incidents reported are a robotic claw refusing to let go of a patient and a patient getting struck in the face.  367,000 operations were carried out with a robot last year alone.

Click here to learn more about the device.

The state of Maryland is getting tough on distracted driving.  Although cellphone usage at the wheel is already illegal, a person can’t be pulled over for that violation alone because it has been designated as a secondary offense.  But the state’s Senate and the House of Delegates have passed a measure that would change that and make texting and talking on a cellphone a primary offense.  The law will now have to receive the signature of the Governor before it obtains passage.  A $75 fine will be assessed against those persons who commit an offense for the first time, a number which increases by $50 for each additional time the person is caught.

For more about the law, follow this link.

Arizona is the latest state to shoot down a proposed texting and driving ban, and police officials are worried that the threat of distraction isn’t going away anytime soon.  An amendment was considered last week by the State Senate that would have outlawed texting at the wheel, but the measure faced opposition from a Senate President and other lawmakers who believed that current reckless driving statutes already took into account distracted driving.  The Commander of the Gilbert Police Department stated that no matter what lawmakers decide, distraction is growing.  He believes stories of tragedy must be used to educate drivers, and another member of the department explained that enforcement was difficult and that oftentimes texting can’t be identified until after a crash has taken place.

To learn more, follow this link.

If you plan on renovating your home any time soon, then you might want to make yourself aware of a new report from Consumer Reports.  The organization explains that such remodeling projects typically release dust and chips of paint that tend to carry heavy amounts of lead.  It’s thus recommended that all homes submit to a lead test with  a kit approved by the Environmental Protection Agency before renovations begin.  Consumers can also work with a licensed contractor who understands applicable laws pertaining to lead.  535,000 or so children between the ages one and five reportedly have levels of lead in their blood that are above what’s been deemed acceptable, but taking the necessary precautions might protect your own children.  Parents might also purchase a water filter to eliminate lead from drinking water.

To learn more about the threat, click here.

This week is National Window Safety Week, and Consumer Reports is doing its part to protect citizens by issuing a series of safety tips which aim to mitigate the danger.  The agency hopes that the tips can reduce the estimated 5,200 falls and 1,300-plus serious injuries which occur every single year because of an open window.  It’s recommended that parents with younger children always supervise kids around windows, especially in the spring time when they’re more likely to be open.  Furniture, including cribs, should be far enough away that a child won’t be tempted to climb, and parents might invest in window guards to further prevent injury.  Parents can also plant bushes beneath windowsills so that, in the event that a fall does occur, the impact will be somewhat cushioned.

For more tips, follow this link.

AAA hopes that an upcoming animated movie called “Turbo,” about a snail that dreams of becoming a race car, can be used to raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving.  At an IndyCar race this weekend, a world famous Brazilian race car driver talked up the movie as well as sponsor AAA’s efforts to put a stop to distracted driving.  His car was emblazoned with imagery from both the movie and from AAA.  The hope is that an animated movie geared toward kids will have the sort of high profile that will allow for a wider swath of people of all ages to begin to understand the dangers of texting and driving.

Click here to learn more about the effort.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released information which suggests that around 660,000 motor vehicle operators are using their cellphones at any given moment during the day, a trend that has remained fairly stagnant for the past three years.  They uncovered this statistic in a survey and then released the results to coincide with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.  These disappointing numbers arrive despite the fact that 94% of respondents agreed that texting should be illegal and nearly three quarters figured even cellphone usage should be outlawed.  Respondents seem to be in favor of harsh penalties too:  most thought that a $200 fine was acceptable.  This jibes with a recent survey from AT & T which showed that nearly 50% of adult drivers texted at the wheel.

Click here to learn more about the survey.