FDA Investigating Possible Power Cord Defects

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is probing whether certain types of medical device power cords may be defective, according to the agency.

Medical delivery company Hospira Inc., based in Lake Forest, Ill., and Abbott Park, Ill.-based Abbott Nutrition, manufacturer of nutrition-related devices, have sent the FDA 122 reports of sparking, charring and fires from power cords used with their devices, the agency said.

The companies’ investigations of these reports determined that the power cord’s prongs may crack and fail at/or inside the plug. The potential risks from this power cord failure include electrical shock, delay in setup and therapy, interruption of therapy, device failure, and fires. Depending on the device and therapy, these failures could lead to serious adverse health consequences, including death.

All the reports received so far from Hospira and Abbott have involved AC power cords with a black plastic bridge manufactured by Electri-cord Manufacturing Company (ECM).

“Documented on-going testing at ECM demonstrates that, when shipped from our factory, our hospital grade cords not only meet but significantly exceed all design and testing requirements by the regulatory agency and our customers’ specifications,” ECM said in a statement.