www.fdanews.com/articles/84636-medtronic-sold-defibrillators-for-2-years-after-finding-defects
MEDTRONIC SOLD DEFIBRILLATORS FOR 2 YEARS AFTER FINDING DEFECTS
February 16, 2006
Medtronic continued selling flawed cardiac defibrillators for two years after
learning that some of them may suddenly quit working, according to company documents
filed in a California lawsuit. After Medtronic last year recalled the devices,
19,000 people had to have surgery for a replacement, said Medtronic spokesman
Rob Clark. At least one of them died from post- surgical complications, according
to the man's widow. Defibrillator patients are vulnerable to potentially fatal
heartbeat irregularities, which the $20,000 devices detect and correct using
electrical shocks.
Bloomberg