FDA Issues Urgent Recall for Lifesaving Defibrillators Kept in Homes and Workplaces

Physio-Control Inc. recently recalled its LIFEPAK 1000 Defibrillator after the company discovered an electrical problem could stop the device from working. The FDA defined this recall as a ‘Class 1’ recall, making it the most serious level of a recall where use of the device can result in “injury or death.” Defibrillators are kept inside hospitals, shopping malls, offices—basically anywhere with lots of people— in the case someone, likely older, suffers from cardiac arrest and needs revival. When used, defibrillators revive someone’s heart by delivering it electric shocks. According to an FDA report, oxidation formation in the wiring of Physio Control’s defibrillator can cause the battery to malfunction and disable the device. If the defibrillator stopped working during an emergency, it would delay or prevent someone from getting electric shocks to their heart. Throughout this delay, blood is not pumping, which means vital organs such as the brain continue to remain oxygen-starved. During cardiac arrest, seconds matter, and the longer someone goes without a beating heart, the greater one’s chances are of organ damage and ultimately death. If you keep this defibrillator in your home or workplace, or depend on one to maintain your heart rhythm, this recall may affect you.