For the sick and injured, hospitals should be safe places; places where the instruments, products and medicines are used to heal, not harm. However, this is not always the case. And, on occasion, the products used by doctors and nurses further injure patients.
After being hospitalized with serious illnesses in the fall of 2010, two Colorado children developed life-threatening infections. Following an investigation by the Children's Hospital in Colorado, it was discovered that the infections were caused by contaminated alcohol pads.
After discovering the contamination, the pads, Triad Alcohol Prep Pads, were recalled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2011. It is alleged that these defective products were contaminated with Bacillus cereus and Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, both very dangerous bacteria strains that can cause potentially fatal infections.
Injuries Caused by Triad Alcohol Prep Pads
As of July 2011, the contaminated pads have been linked to approximately 10 deaths, 11 infections and 250 other health issues.
The alcohol pads are used by hospitals to disinfect skin prior to giving an injection. The pads are also sold at local and chain drug stores for home use. For those that use alcohol pads prior to administering injections, such as insulin injections, it is important to check your medicine cabinets for Triad pads or other alcohol pads and swabs manufactured and distributed by H&P Industries and properly dispose of those pads.
What to Do if You Are Injured by a Defective Product
If you or a loved one has been injured by a product that was marketed as safe, including Triad alcohol pads, speak to a product liability attorney experienced in defective medical products. An attorney can help you hold those responsible for your injuries liable, and help you seek compensation for any medical bills, long-term care, or pain and suffering incurred due to the defective product.
