Re: Labor-Inducing Drug Associated With 8 Deaths
From: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com)
Thu Dec 21 08:04:54 2000
more deaths linked to aspirin - why not pull this dangerous drug off the
market? come to think of it - let's outlaw automobiles, airplanes,
tobacco products and alcoholic beverages! whoops - we tried that already
- worked great, didn't it.
this just in - mother jones was seen driving badge man's getaway car
from the grassy knoll.
just my opinion - i could be wrong.
art
At Thu, 21 Dec 2000, Luis Sanchez-Ramos, MD wrote:
>
>This is another case of biased reporting and distorting the facts. Of
>course, any drug utilized for labor induction or augmentation may have
>adverse results in a small minority of cases, especially if used
>inappropriately. The author did not give detailed information on each
>case: most if not all were patients with previous cesarean deliveries
>who received misoprostol without a protocol. He did not investigate
>whether the drug was used appropriately. Why should he care? He simply
>wanted to write a "dramatic" or alarming story. The author cited our
>recent meta-analysis of 44 RCTs but failed to mention that one of our
>most important findings was that the use of misoprostol was not
>associated with complications to the mother or newborn. The same story,
>or even perhaps more alarming, could be written with regard to the use
>of oxytocin, dinoprostone (PGE2) or any labor inducing drug currently
>utilized in the United States.
>It may be true that misoprostol is not yet commonly utilized in some
>european countries, but it certainly is utilized and many parts of the
>world.
>
>--
>Luis Sanchez-Ramos, MD
>
>At Wed, 20 Dec 2000, DoctorJoe@aol.com wrote:
>>
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>>FYI
>>
>>Joe P.
>>
>>In a message dated 12/20/00 7:51:39 PM, AOL News writes:
>>
>><< Labor-Inducing Drug Associated With 8 Deaths
>>
>>SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Mother Jones magazine has obtained FDA
>>figures listing 30 cases of uterine rupture associated with the use of the
>>drug Cytotec to induce labor in expectant mothers, including 8 cases in which
>>the fetus died in utero. In spite of the fact that Cytotec is FDA approved
>>for treating peptic ulcers rather than for inducing labor, it is now "the
>>predominant agent of choice" for inducing labor, according to Dr. Charles
>>Lockwood, chairman of obstetrical practices for the American College of
>>Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
>>
>>The article, which will appear in the Jan./Feb. issue of Mother Jones
>>magazine, was released today on the magazine's Web site:
>>http://www.motherjones.com/mother-jones/JF01/labor.html .
>>
>>Mother Jones contributing writer David Goodman reports that deaths resulting
>>from the "off-label" use of Cytotec have become the subject of several
>>lawsuits, including two in Oregon and others in Texas and Connecticut. After
>>being named as a defendant in a Portland, Oregon, suit, the drug's
>>manufacturer, G.D. Searle Corporation, sent a letter to 200,000 health care
>>providers warning them that "Cytotec administration by any route is
>>contraindicated in women who are pregnant because it can cause abortion."
>>(The drug is, in fact, used in combination with RU-486, for this specific
>>purpose.) The company also noted that off-label use of the drug has resulted
>>in reports of uterine rupture, hysterectomy, and the death of mothers and
>>infants....
>>
>>For the full text of this story, <A
>>HREF="aol://4344:30.L100Tfot.5262493.661829779">click here</A>.
>> >>
>>
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>>From: AOLNews@aol.com
>>Full-name: AOL News
>>Message-ID: <7e.e7cd198.2772bc2b@aol.com>
>>Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 20:51:39 EST
>>Subject: Labor-Inducing Drug Associated With 8 Deaths
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>>
>>Labor-Inducing Drug Associated With 8 Deaths
>>
>>SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Mother Jones magazine has obtained FDA figures listing 30 cases of uterine rupture associated with the use of the drug Cytotec to induce labor in expectant mothers, including 8 cases in which the fetus died in utero. In spite of the fact that Cytotec is FDA approved for treating peptic ulcers rather than for inducing labor, it is now "the predominant agent of choice" for inducing labor, according to Dr. Charles Lockwood, chairman of obstetrical practices for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
>>
>>The article, which will appear in the Jan./Feb. issue of Mother Jones magazine, was released today on the magazine's Web site: http://www.motherjones.com/mother-jones/JF01/labor.html .
>>
>>Mother Jones contributing writer David Goodman reports that deaths resulting from the "off-label" use of Cytotec have become the subject of several lawsuits, including two in Oregon and others in Texas and Connecticut. After being named as a defendant in a Portland, Oregon, suit, the drug's manufacturer, G.D. Searle Corporation, sent a letter to 200,000 health care providers warning them that "Cytotec administration by any route is contraindicated in women who are pregnant because it can cause abortion." (The drug is, in fact, used in combination with RU-486, for this specific purpose.) The company also noted that off-label use of the drug has resulted in reports of uterine rupture, hysterectomy, and the death of mothers and infants....
>>
>>For the full text of this story, <A HREF="aol://4344:30.L100Tfot.5262493.661829779">click here</A>.
>>
>>To edit your profile, go to keyword <A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles">NewsProfiles</A>.
>>For all of today's news, go to keyword <A HREF="aol://1722:News">News</A>.
>>
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>
--
art fougner, md
A series of 1000 cases begins with but a single anecdote.
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