Avoiding Heavy Metal Poisoning

Increasing concern about heavy metals arose partly due to DePuy hip replacement devices, notably the metal-on-metal hip acetebular prostheses, which was said to cause heavy metal toxicity. Unfortunately, we encounter heavy metals unknowingly everyday. The heavy metals which can be found at home, school and our environment that can cause heavy metal poisoning are mercury, lead, aluminum, antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, silver, zinc. Some heavy metals are even utilized by our bodies to maintain the balance needed to keep our physique well-functioning and healthy. Such "essential" heavy metals are zinc, copper, chromium, iron and manganese but note that we only need minimum amount of these. However, heavy metal toxicity results if there is an abnormal accumulation of any of the above mentioned heavy metals. Thus, it is necessary to know the ways to avoid heavy metal poisoning.

Occupational hazard is the most common cause of heavy metal poisoning and there are ways we can use to prevent complications from too much contact with these heavy metals during work. Several precautionary methods employed by workers in the industry and factories are protective clothing such as protective masks, specially-made suits, thick and impenetrable gloves, boots, and thick-glass goggles. Respirators, emergency equipment, and medications or substances used to normalize the abnormal levels of the harmful heavy metals like those in chelation therapy should be ready at hand in case someone is observed to have the signs and symptoms of metallosis.

Brain fogging; persistent pain of one or more of the following body parts: the muscles, soft tissues, tendons, and/or joints; problems associated with the gastrointestinal system such as diarrhea, constipation, flatulence and nausea; unusual changes in the mood and affect; recurrent infections; headaches; dizziness; and problems in the nervous system are some of the drastic side effects of heavy metal toxicity. The heavy metals found to be the prevalent cause of heavy metal toxicity are mercury, lead, aluminum, antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, silver, zinc and tin. When there is heavy metal poisoning, detoxifying emergency interventions must be immediately implemented since this could lead to grave conditions which could ultimately lead to death if left untreated. Bring the patient to the emergency unit of the nearest hospital in order to apprehend complications from toxic levels of heavy metals. For initial heavy metal poisoning managements, you can the consult poison control lines.

In cases where complications from hip replacement surgery using faulty DePuy ASR hip products were experienced, there was an issuance of a hip replacement recall. If you are interested to learn more about the updates about this case, you can visit related sites available.

DePuy Warned of Faulty Hip Replacements but Took No Action

The common claim in the majority of the DePuy lawsuits stemming from the recent DePuy hip replacement recall is that the company was negligent in both the designing and testing of its products. This contributed to the injuries among the recipients of these defective devices. Recipients are also claiming that DePuy knew its hip replacements were defective, but failed to warn the public in an appropriate amount of time. If the company had acted promptly, it could have prevented injuries in thousands of people. It is this claim that has a very strong chance of winning in a court of law.

In 2003, the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System first entered the market. DePuy and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, was first aware of the growing number of complaints regarding these devices beginning in 2005 from both recipients and surgeons describing pain, swelling, eroded and broken bones, failed implants, and metallosis. The company did not take any action.

The defective implants were detected immediately by Australia and the United Kingdom due to their regulatory artificial joint registries. The National Joint Replacement Registry in Australia reported higher than normal failure rates of the DePuy hip replacements as early as 2007. DePuy then voluntarily withdrew its products from their market by 2009. Similarly, the National Joint Registry of England and Wales was also effective in the early discovery of defective hip replacements. At the same time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received several hundred complaints about the metal-on-metal device, but without a national registry to regulate these defective implants, no action was taken. With increasing pressure from the public and the FDA, DePuy finally initiated a recall in August of 2010.

The most recent studies have claimed that the failure rates in these defective devices are worse than originally indicated. Two major orthopedic organizations in the United Kingdom are now stating that out of the 93,000 patients that have received DePuy hip replacements, half of these implants will fail after only 6 years.

DePuy was aware of its defective implants, but continued to market and distribute them regardless. Patients that have received defective hip replacements and want proper compensation for their injuries should contact an experienced attorney. For more information regarding ongoing litigation, visit the DePuy hip recall website for details.

Different DePuy Recall Is Predicted To Occur

Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, DePuy Orthopaedics manufactured the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System-- both of which are hip replacement devices that was recently recalled in August 2010. Twelve to thirteen percent of the 93,000 recipients are approximated to have been affected by the recall. This means that about 11,000 patients need to undergo a risky and expensive second hip replacement procedure or what is called a revision surgery. Some symptoms associated with the defective devices are pain, swelling, dislocation, difficulty walking and even the more severe metallosis. Orthopedists even report that nerve damage is one of the complications recipients undergo. Presently, hundreds of DePuy lawsuits have already been filed and experts believe this number could reach thousands.

DePuy's problems seem to only get much worse. It was found out that another line of hip replacement device, called the Pinnacle Solution (also known as the Pinnacle Acetabular Cup System), has similar issues with the ASR devices. There were at least 500 Pinnacle-related complaints that were noted by the United States Food and Drugs Administration. These complaints report of basically the same complications as the ASRs inflict among recipients. As of present time, individuals who have received this type of hip replacement already filed for DePuy Pinnacle lawsuits.

It has not yet been revealed just how many Pinnacle devices were implanted and how many are affected by its flaws. Another recall may be in the works given the company's oversight in manufacturing secure and durable orthopedic devices. One of the responsibilities of companies such as DePuy is that they offer the public a product that is safe for public use. To compensate for losses DePuy recipients are made to go through, filing a hip recall lawsuit is highly recommended.

To learn more on the ongoing DePuy litigation and get some updates, you can visit the hip replacement recall information center.