Watson Pharmaceutical is recalling more of their fentanyl pain patches because of their tendency to leak harmful fentanyl gel.

The manufacturer is recalling the 75mcg/hr fentanyl transdermal system patches sold in the US from wholesalers and pharmacies. These defective drug patches are used to manage persistent chronic pain that requires constant treatment with opioids.

The recalled patches in particular are from lot number 92461850 and have an expiration date of August 31, 2009. These patches were shipped to customers between January 30, 2008 and March 19, 2008.

According to Watson, some of the patches in this lot have been leaking fentanyl gel and exposing it to patients or caregivers. Fentanyl gel is a highly addictive opiate that is 80 times more potent than morphine. Direct exposure can cause serious effects such as trouble breathing, extreme tiredness, confusion, or death.

A recent British study has found that the widely-used epilepsy drug Topamax® (topiramate) raises the risk of birth defects when taken by pregnant women. When combined with the drug valproate, the risk of the occurrence birth defects is even higher.

The results are still statistically uncertain because the study included only 203 women, but experts were not surprised with the findings because Topamax® has been shown to cause defects in animals.

Of the 203 pregnancies in the study, 18 ended in spontaneous abortion, five in induced abortions, and two in stillbirths. Of the 178 babies born, 16 had major birth defects. In three of those cases, the mothers had only taken topiramate and the other 13 involved topiramate and other drugs. Cleft palates or lips were present in four of the babies, an occurrence 11 times the normal rate of 1 in 500 among women not taking epilepsy drugs. Four male babies had genital birth defects, up 14 times the normal rate of 1 in 300.

Doctors urge epileptic women to continue taking the drug during pregnancy despite the enormous risks because of the danger of seizures on the unborn babies. Women who are taking the drug to prevent migraines should stop if they become pregnant or are planning to become pregnant.

The lawyers at Cappolino, Dodd & Krebs (experienced birth trauma and head injury attorneys) know how news of horrific medical mistakes by doctors and hospital staff can be found everywhere from newspapers and magazines to television and internet.

Even one story of a surgery gone awry can be enough to scare a patient out of a necessary procedure. However, there are steps that you can take to minimize your risk of wrong-site surgery and other avoidable blunders. Nick Avgerinos of InjuryBoard.com lists on his blog 5 tips for avoiding medical mistakes.

1. Check the experience of your doctor and hospital
Ask your doctor how many times they have done this procedure, and compare with other doctors. You can visit http://www.leapfroggroup.org/ to find hospitals ranked by specialty.

2. Tell everyone who you are and what procedure you’re having done
Avgerinos suggests you tell all doctors, nurses and other hospital staffers your name, date of birth, and procedure to prevent a confused hospital official from giving you the wrong medical chart.

3. Have your doctor initial your surgical site
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons asks its members to literally sign their initials on the surgical site before the operation to prevent wrong-site surgeries. This is a great tip for patients undergoing orthopedic surgery and other procedures where the reason for the operation is not visible on the surface.

4. Confirm the surgical site immediately before the surgery
Just to be safe, make sure that your surgeon knows the correct site before you enter the operating room.

5. Bring a trained proxy
Since you will likely be asleep during and just after your surgery, bring a friend or family member with you who understands your procedure and knows all of your personal information. They can help you check the initials on your surgical site, and answer any questions, and contact your surgeon or primary physician if necessary.

With our health care system overloaded and our doctors overworked, medical professionals need all the help they can get. You can use the five tips listed above to decrease your chances of wrong-site surgery and other medical mistakes.

If all else fails, remember that there are medical malpractice lawyers out there to help you seek the compensation you deserve.