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Medical device recalls: March 2014

The FDA posted 202 medical device recall records in March 2014, from 107 recall events by 76 companies. 10 are Class I, the most serious category.

Each product in a recall gets its own record, so one recall event can cover several records. What recall classes mean.

Companies with the most recall events

  1. Elekta, Inc. · 6 events, 8 records
  2. GE Healthcare, LLC · 6 events, 8 records
  3. Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc · 4 events, 4 records
  4. Teleflex Medical · 3 events, 22 records
  5. Biomet 3i, LLC · 3 events, 7 records
  6. Philips Medical Systems North America Inc. · 3 events, 4 records
  7. Synthes, Inc. · 3 events, 3 records
  8. Lin-Zhi International Inc · 2 events, 3 records

FDA root cause

  1. Device Design · 33
  2. Nonconforming Material/Component · 31
  3. Software design · 24
  4. Storage · 15
  5. Component change control · 14
  6. Packaging · 10
  7. Component design/selection · 9
  8. Employee error · 8

Class I recalls (10)

The most serious: a reasonable probability that using the device will cause serious health problems or death.

Class II recalls (187)

The device may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems, or the chance of serious harm is remote.

Class III recalls (5)

Using the device is not likely to cause health problems, but it violates FDA rules.

Source: FDA Medical Device Recalls and FDA enforcement reports (recall class), via openFDA. Records are grouped by the date the FDA posted them. Methodology · Not medical advice.