Healthcare Giant Issues Recall After Bug Is Found in IV Solution

Healthcare giant Baxter International (BAX) is recalling two lots of intravenous solution that may contain “particulate matter.”

The Illinois-based company issued the recall after a customer reported finding a bug in the IV solution. The customer noticed the insect before the solution was administered. Affected products include a 70% dextrose injection with an expiration date of July 31, 2016, and a 0.9% sodium chloride injection that expires on Nov. 30, 2016.

Administering contaminated IV solution, particularly without an in-line filtration system, can result in serious health problems, including allergic reactions and irritation/inflammation of tissues and organs. Injecting particular matter can also cause blocked blood vessels, which could lead to a stroke, heart attack, or organ damage.

In an email to Coins2Day, a Baxter spokesperson said, “Patient safety is our priority, and we have issued a voluntary recall to ensure no product from the affected lots remains in the field.” Noting that the bug was found “prior to patient administration,” the spokesperson also said that “there have been no adverse events associated with this issue reported to Baxter.”

The recalled products were distributed in the United States and Canada between June 6 and December 16, 2015. A pproximately 284,000 individual units were involved in the recall. “Customers affected by the recall were notified via letter,” the spokesperson said.

Consumers should return the IV solution to Baxter International for credit. More information about affected lots can be found on the FDA website.

This article was updated to include Baxter’s statement and note that the bug was found by a customer. An earlier version of this story had incorrectly reported that it was found by a patient. The headline also was changed so that it no longer says a patient found the bug.