Heparin Victim Widow: "We Have a False Sense of Security."

Washington DCJoanna Marie Staples of Toledo, Ohio told a congressional subcommittee on April 29, 2008 that there is a false sense of security in a country where people expect to feel safe and protected. Her husband Dennis had died shortly before his 60th birthday after he had received an injection of contaminated heparin.

The same contaminated heparin that was responsible for the death of Dennis Staples is also responsible for 785 allergic reactions and 81 other deaths, according to Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. Stupak heads the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations.

It was found that the contamination occurred in the ingredients that were imported from China. Baxter International and the FDA had recalled the drug and they also blocked all imports coming from that particular Chinese company. The contaminant was determined to be oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. It seems identical to heparin; therefore it was not detected in the tests that are conducted to detect contaminants upon receipt.

It has not yet been determined exactly how or when the oversulfated chondroitin sulfate was introduced into the supply, but the FDA and Baxter have suspicions that it was intentionally done. Right now this is just the hypothesis of the FDA, but it is also the belief of Dr. Janet Woodcock, who told the congressional subcommittee that it is hard to believe the contamination was accidental when one third of the supply was contaminated.

Also speaking before the subcommittee was Leroy Hubley, also of Toledo, who lost his 47-year-old son and his 65-year-old wife within weeks of each other. Both had suffered from the same kidney disease, so both needed to be given heparin since they required constant dialysis. However, Mr. Hubley was not aware in the weeks after their deaths that they had been given contaminated heparin.

Baxter's Chairman Robert L. Parkinson says that he is alarmed that a drug they manufactured could have been used to intentionally alter a medicine that was made to save lives. In the meantime, the Chinese are disputing the allegations by the FDA that any injuries or deaths were caused by contamination on their end. They have stated that they should be able to inspect American drug plants if the FDA inspects theirs. They do not believe that the contaminant was the only cause and believes that the root cause is in America.

Families were able to make themselves heard in front of the subcommittee and they expressed their concerns over the fact that they lost their loved ones to a drug that was supposed to save their lives. The stories were sad, but they were very real. That made for a very emotional day as the families recounted the horrifying deaths.

As for whom to blame, that is yet to be determined.

By: Ginger Gillenwater