Mayo Healthcare Orders Recall of Catheter in Australia

The maker of a medical device that has left tiny pieces of wire near the hearts of child patients has recalled the device.

Health authorities were alerted to the problem last month when a radiologist at the Townsville Hospital in Australia spotted a guide wire in a 5-year-old child’s chest in an X-ray.

Since then the wire has been found in a further eight children who had chemotherapy drugs and antibiotics administered through the peripheral inserted central catheter (PICC) lines.

Checks are being performed on about 200 other children and to date 350 families have contacted a hotline.

Queensland Health has confirmed Mayo Healthcare, the Australian sponsor of the Arrow brand devices, has recalled the catheters.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said she welcomed the voluntary recall which would involve the company updating instructions for the device.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration is also investigating other brands of PICC devices in the Australian market to determine whether they pose any problems.

Dr Young said she expected to see the results of a review of the device’s use by all hospitals soon.

Mayo Healthcare Australia general manager Tanja Brycker said it was not a product defect.

“What we have done is improved instructions for use so that clinicians use the device correctly,” Ms Brycker said.

SOURCE: The Age