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Report suggests medical devices may have caused eight deaths this year

Report suggests medical devices may have caused eight deaths this year

A new report suggests eight deaths that might have been caused by medical devices were reported in the first nine months of the year.

The Irish Times reports there has been a steadily growing number of adverse incidents, possibly linked to medical devices, being reported each year to the Health Products Regulation Authority (HPRA).

It says that from 2015 to the end of September this year there were 39 reports involving a patient death initially thought to be down to the medical device.

A spokeswoman for the HPRA, said investigations had taken place in 22 of the cases, and that “none of the incidents which involved a patient death were confirmed to be related to a device malfunction”.

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The other 17 cases are still being investigated, eight of them were reported this year.

The findings are part of a project - the Implant Files - organised by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

- Digital Desk

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