Hospira Recalling Injections Over Human-Hair Contamination

Hospira issued a recall Friday for some of its sodium chloride injections, one of which was confirmed to be contaminated with a human hair.

Hospira said it hasn’t received any reports of adverse effects associated with the issue, but the company will recall any units from the lot distributed nationwide from September through November. The injections are sterile solutions administered directly into veins to replenish patients’ fluids and electrolytes.

“In the unlikely event that the particulate breaks and pieces are able to pass through the intravenous catheter, injected particulate material may result in local inflammation … and/or low-level allergic response,” Hospira said in a joint release with the Food and Drug Administration.

Hospira has been hampered by recalls and manufacturing problems in the past. The maker of injectable drugs and infusion equipment has spent millions of dollars in recent years fixing problems.

Hospira could not immediately be reached for comment.

This article appeared in print in the January 26th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.