news
Andrew Gioanetti
The Ministry of Health has advised the public to stop using Heparin Sodium in Sodium Chloride Injection 0.9% after the product was recalled due to the possibility of elevated endotoxin levels.
The recalled products are not registered for use in Trinidad and Tobago.
However, as a precaution, the ministry urged anyone in possession of the product to stop using it immediately and, if possible, return it.
The ministry’s statement came after US healthcare company Baxter International recalled lot number N008235 “based on an issue related to bacterial endotoxin testing, which may result in elevated endotoxin levels.”
Heparin Sodium in 0.9 Percent Sodium Chloride Injection (2 Units/mL) is a sterile solution prepared from heparin sodium USP and is used as an anticoagulant.
It maintains catheter patency and is packaged in 2,000 USP units, 1,000 mL in VIAFLEX Plus plastic containers.
“The use of heparin with endotoxin concentrations above the acceptable limit can cause serious health hazards, ranging from febrile reactions to toxic shock, multiple organ failure and death,” the ministry advised.
The issue affects one lot distributed between March 12, 2023 and August 24, 2023 to U.S. healthcare facilities, wholesalers, and distributors.
Product codes and lot numbers are located on each individual product and on the shipping carton.
