Explore the vast range of titles available.

We aimed to determine the reporting trends and characteristics of Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) from the Zimbabwean national pharmacovigilance system. ICSRs submitted to VigiBaseTM, the World Health Organisation's ICSR database between January 1993 and December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed with respect to the suspected medicine, System Organ Class (SOC), adverse drug reaction (ADR) type and seriousness, Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) group, age, and gender. In total, 4071 ICSRs were submitted to VigiBaseTM from targeted spontaneous reporting (n = 2909; 71.5%), vaccine surveillance (n = 679; 16.7%), and passive spontaneous reporting (n = 483; 11.9%), respectively. The median age, ICSR completeness score and timeliness of reporting were 34.0 years (IQR: 14.0; 43.0), 0.90 (IQR: 0.70; 1.00), and 548.0 days (IQR: 266:1131), respectively. More than half of the ICRS were from female patients (n = 2233; 54.9%). Antiretrovirals, antibiotics, vaccines, and anti‐tubercular medicines were reported in 62.9%, 27.9%, 16.7%, and 13.3% of submitted ICSRs, respectively. The most frequent ADRs involved the skin and subcutaneous systems (n = 1111; 20.5%), nervous system (n = 733; 13.5%), and gastrointestinal disorders system (n = 654; 12.1%). The number of ADRs reported for each patient was significantly related to the reported medicine's ATC category (P = .001. The number of ADRs was significantly related to the use of antiretroviral agents. In conclusion, Zimbabwe has made significant progress in establishing a functional pharmacovigilance system. However, the present system reports on a limited therapeutic spectrum of medicines and potentially underestimates the national ADR burden. Further work is required to strengthen the more sustainable spontaneous reporting system which potentially captures a variety of therapeutic classes.

The use of sequential statistical analysis for post-market drug safety surveillance is quickly emerging. Both continuous and group sequential analysis have been used, but consensus is lacking as to when to use which approach. We compare the statistical performance of continuous and group sequential analysis in terms of type I error probability; statistical power; expected time to signal when the null hypothesis is rejected; and the sample size required to end surveillance without rejecting the null. We present a mathematical proposition to show that for any group sequential design there always exists a continuous sequential design that is uniformly better. As a consequence, it is shown that more frequent testing is always better. Additionally, for a Poisson based probability model and a flat rejection boundary in terms of the log likelihood ratio, we compare the performance of various continuous and group sequential designs. Using exact calculations, we found that, for the parameter settings used, there is always a continuous design with shorter expected time to signal than the best group design. The two key conclusions from this article are (i) that any post-market safety surveillance system should attempt to obtain data as frequently as possible, and (ii) that sequential testing should always be performed when new data arrives without deliberately waiting for additional data.

Background & objectives To analyse post-market surveillance (PMS) trends for high-risk medical devices (Class IIb and III) in different geographic regions and evaluate the effectiveness of field safety corrective actions (FSCAs) in mitigating device-related risks. Methods This study utilised 2024 data from EUDAMED (European Database on Medical Devices), BfArM (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte), and MAUDE (Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (FDA database)) to identify recurring incidents, associated device types, and the outcomes of FSCAs. A quantitative analysis was conducted to evaluate the frequency and severity of reported incidents, focusing on hardware failures, software malfunctions, and calibration issues. The impact of recalls, software updates, and field modifications on incident recurrence was also assessed. Results Orthopaedic implants, infusion pumps, and cardiac monitoring devices reported the highest number of incidents, primarily due to hardware failures and software issues. FSCAs involving hardware modifications significantly reduced recurrence rates, particularly for high-risk devices like pacemakers and ventilators. In contrast, software-driven devices exhibited persistent issues despite corrective actions, highlighting challenges in maintaining long-term reliability. Interpretation & conclusions The findings underscore the importance of robust PMS systems and tailored corrective actions in mitigating risks associated with high-risk medical devices. While FSCAs have demonstrated effectiveness in addressing hardware-related failures, enhancements in regulatory frameworks are necessary to improve the management of software-driven devices.

Background: The oral cavity harbors many microbes that may cause diseases, including dental caries and periodontal diseases. Progressive inflammation from periodontal diseases may lead to gum detachment from the teeth. Povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine mouth rinses and gargles are broad-spectrum antimicrobial products that effectively manage dental caries and periodontal diseases and eliminate plaques. This study was conducted in Nairobi County, Kenya to establish the quality of povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine oral care products by determining the content of the active pharmaceutical ingredient and compliance with labeling requirements. Methods: A total of 34 samples (from 15 brands) of povidone-iodine and 15 samples (from nine brands) of chlorhexidine were collected from retail pharmacies using convenience sampling. All samples were subjected to labeling analysis, identity, and assay tests.  Potentiometric titration was used to assay povidone-iodine in the samples, while chlorhexidine was assayed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) according to British Pharmacopeia 2017 specifications. Results: All samples complied with identification tests. Moreover, 47.1% of povidone-iodine and 66.7% of chlorhexidine products complied with pharmacopoeial assay specifications. Five povidone-iodine (14.7%) and four chlorhexidine (26.7%) samples had missing label information on the storage conditions and the address of the manufacturer. Conclusions: Strict adherence to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) by manufacturers of povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine mouthwashes/gargles is necessary to guarantee quality assured products in the market. Regular post-market surveillance and regulatory enforcement of standards are instrumental in minimizing the circulation of poor-quality products.

IntroductionEsophageal Stents are used to maintain esophageal lumen patency in esophageal strictures caused by intrinsic and/or extrinsic malignancies and the occlusion of concomitant esophageal fistulas. While data on the efficacy and safety of esophageal stents exist, comprehensive evaluation of adverse events is limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the reported adverse events and device failures associated with esophageal self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) using the FDA's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database.MethodsPost-marketing surveillance data for the esophageal SEMSs were analyzed using the FDA's MAUDE database from January 2014 to December 10, 2023. The outcomes of interest were patient-related adverse events and device failures. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS. Pooled numbers and percentages were calculated for each adverse event. Continuous variables underwent analysis using a two-tailed student t test, and significance was set to p ≤ 0.05.ResultsDuring the study period, 548 MAUDE reports revealed 873 device failures and 186 patient-related adverse events. The most common device issues were stent activation, positioning, or separation problems (4 n = 403; 46.2%), followed by device detachment or migration (n = 109, 12.5%), and material problems (n = 93, 10.7%). Patient complications included dysphagia/odynophagia (10%), perforation, pain, and bleeding (each 7.6%). The most common device failures in over-the-wire (OTW) stents and through-the-scope (TTS) stents were activation, positioning, or separation problems (TTS: n = 183, 52.6% vs OTW: n = 220, 41.9%). Compared to OTW stents, TTS stents had higher migration and breakage (13.5% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.24), and (9.2% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.08) respectively, while OTW stents had more challenges with stent advancement or removal (5.1% vs. 0.3%, p < 0.001 and 4.6% vs 3.4%, p = 0.19, respectively) and material problems (14.7% vs. 4.6%, p < 0.001). Activation, positioning, and separation problems were the most frequent device failures in fully covered (FC) and partially covered (PC) stents (FC: n = 62, 32.8%, PC: n = 168, 43.5%). FC stents had higher migration rates (20.6% vs 9.8%, p < 0.001), while PC stents exhibited more material problems (17.4% vs. 5.8%, p < 0.001) and difficulties with advancing the stents (6.7% vs. 0%, p < 0.001).ConclusionOur examination showed a prevalence of reported device complications associated with stent activation, positioning, and separation problems. Dysphagia or odynophagia emerged as the most frequently reported patient complication. Furthermore, our analysis, provides insights into TTS vs. OTW and FC vs. PC esophageal SEMSs, enabling endoscopists and manufacturers to better understand adverse events and potentially optimize device design for future iterations.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into radiology has the potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy, streamline workflows, and improve patient outcomes. However, successful real-world adoption hinges on robust systems for ongoing monitoring to maintain safety, efficacy, and compliance with regulatory standards. This article delves into the critical need for such monitoring in radiology, examining current regulatory frameworks and proposing actionable strategies for overseeing technical performance, algorithm reliability, and human-AI interactions. Key topics include methods for aligning imaging studies with appropriate AI tools, addressing challenges related to data transmission and processing delays, and evaluating approaches to algorithm performance monitoring, ranging from vendor-based and specialized systems to in-house solutions. The potential of using large language models to help algorithm monitoring is also highlighted as a promising avenue. Additionally, the article explores human-AI interaction challenges, such as automation bias (the tendency of users to overly trust automated decisions), misuse, and underuse, offering strategies to mitigate these risks through structured protocols and ongoing education. By aligning regulatory requirements with practical implementation strategies, comprehensive AI monitoring can optimize diagnostic decision-making while ensuring patient safety.

Background Recognizing the limitations of pre-market clinical data, regulatory authorities have embraced total product lifecycle management with post-market surveillance (PMS) data to assess medical device safety and performance. One method of proactive PMS involves the analysis of real-world data (RWD) through retrospective review of electronic health records (EHR). Because EHRs are patient-centered and focused on providing tools that clinicians use to determine care rather than collecting information on individual medical products, the process of transforming RWD into real-world evidence (RWE) can be laborious, particularly for medical devices with broad clinical use and extended clinical follow-up. This study describes a method to extract RWD from EHR to generate RWE on the safety and performance of embolization coils. Methods Through a partnership between a non-profit data institute and a medical device manufacturer, information on implantable embolization coils’ use was extracted, linked, and analyzed from clinical data housed in an electronic data warehouse from the state of Indiana’s largest health system. To evaluate the performance and safety of the embolization coils, technical success and safety were defined as per the Society of Interventional Radiology guidelines. A multi-prong strategy including electronic and manual review of unstructured (clinical chart notes) and structured data (International Classification of Disease codes), was developed to identify patients with relevant devices and extract data related to the endpoints. Results A total of 323 patients were identified as treated using Cook Medical Tornado, Nester, or MReye embolization coils between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2018. Available clinical follow-up for these patients was 1127 ± 719 days. Indications for use, adverse events, and procedural success rates were identified via automated extraction of structured data along with review of available unstructured data. The overall technical success rate was 96.7%, and the safety events rate was 5.3% with 18 major adverse events in 17 patients. The calculated technical success and safety rates met pre-established performance goals (≥ 85% for technical success and ≤ 12% for safety), highlighting the relevance of this surveillance method. Conclusions Generating RWE from RWD requires careful planning and execution. The process described herein provided valuable longitudinal data for PMS of real-world device safety and performance. This cost-effective approach can be translated to other medical devices and similar RWD database systems.

Background The reporting of adverse events in medical devices (MD) is a starting point of post-market surveillance and the most common source of initial safety signals. Because MD adverse events (AE) occur globally and involve high-profile international public health crises, international regulators implanted standard codes for MDAE reporting. This study aimed to assess the application of MDAE terminology and codes by providing examples of virtual events. Methods An online survey was conducted among participants of the MD Training Program for Regulatory Authorities which provide International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) adverse event terminology and codes, and six virtual MDAE cases. Results All 29 of the 72 participants were regulators. In all cases, most participants selected the broad (level 1) codes rather than the detailed (level 2 or level 3) codes. While responders selected a variety of codes for all annexes in case 1, over 50% of responders selected the intended codes in case 6. The codes for cause investigation were chosen more frequently than other annexes for device problem, components, and health effect. No differences were observed in code selection amongst different stakeholders. Conclusions We identified the diversification in terminology and code selection for reporting MDAEs.

Purpose The study objective is to document value created by real-world evidence from the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative (ACHQC) for regulatory decisions. The ACHQC is a national effort that generates data on hernia repair techniques and devices. Methods Two retrospective cohort evaluations compared cost and time of ACHQC analyses to traditional postmarket studies. The first analysis was based on 25 reports submitted to the European Medicines Agency of 20 mesh products for post-market surveillance. A second analysis supported label expansion submitted to the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health for a robotic-assisted surgery device to include ventral hernia repair. Estimated costs of counterfactual studies, defined as studies that might have been done if the registry had not been available , were derived from a model described in the literature. Return on investment, percentage of cost savings, and time savings were calculated. Results 45,010 patients contributed to the two analyses. The cost and time differences between individual 25 ACHQC analyses (41,112 patients) and traditional studies ranged from $1.3 to $2.2 million and from 3 to 4.8 years, both favoring use of the ACHQC. In the second label expansion analysis (3,898 patients), the estimated return on investment ranged from 11 to 461% with time savings of 5.1 years favoring use of the ACHQC. Conclusions Compared to traditional postmarket studies, use of ACHQC data can result in cost and time savings when used for appropriate regulatory decisions in light of key assumptions.

IntroductionPancreatic duct stents (PDS) are widely used for the prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the adverse events associated with PDS placement. This study aims to investigate the reported adverse events and device failures related to PDS, utilizing the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database maintained by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).MethodsPost-marketing surveillance data from January 2013 to December 8, 2023, were extracted from the FDA’s MAUDE database to analyze the reports pertaining to the use of commonly used PDS. The primary outcomes of interest were device issues and patient-related adverse events. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2010, with the calculation of pooled numbers and percentages for each device and patient adverse event.ResultsA total of 579 device issues and 194 patient-related adverse events were identified. Device issues were primarily attributed to stent deformation (n = 72; 12.4%), followed by migration of the device into the pancreatic duct or expulsion out of the duct (n = 60; 10.4%), and stent fracture/breakage (n = 55; 9.4%). Among the patient-reported adverse events, inflammation was the most common (n = 26; 13.4%), followed by reports of stents becoming embedded in tissue (n = 21; 10.8%) and stent occlusion/obstruction (n = 16; 8.2%). The most prevalent device failures associated with Advanix stents were material deformation, with perforation (n = 3, 30%) being the most frequently reported adverse event. Concerning Geenen stents, migration or expulsion of the device (n = 34, 16.9%) constituted the most common device-related adverse events, while inflammation (n = 20, 16.7%) was the most frequently reported patient-related issue. For Zimmon stents, migration or expulsion of the device (n = 22, 8.8%) were the most frequently reported device-related problems, whereas perforation (n = 7, 10.9%) and bleeding (n = 7, 10.9%) were the most frequent patient-related adverse events.ConclusionOur findings highlight important device and patient adverse events that endoscopists and referring providers should be aware of before considering pancreatic stent placement.