Fatal Crashes Involving Cellphone Use May Be Under-Reported

THURSDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- The number of fatal crashes involving drivers distracted by cellphones is vastly under-reported in the United States, according to a new study.

National Safety Council researchers looked at 180 fatal crashes nationwide from 2009 to 2011 where evidence indicated driver cellphone use. Of the crashes in 2011, only 52 percent were labeled as cellphone-related in federal government data.

"We believe the number of crashes involving cellphone use is much greater than what is being reported," Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, said in a council news release. "Many factors -- from drivers not admitting cellphone use, to a lack of consistency in crash reports being used to collect data at the scene -- make it very challenging to determine an accurate number."

Even in cases where drivers admitted cellphone use before a fatal crash, only about half were entered as cellphone-related in the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Analysis Reporting System.

The study also noted that there are an unknown number of cases in which the use of cellphones in fatal crashes is impossible to determine. An example would be a driver reading an email or text message who dies in a crash without any witnesses.

There were large differences in cellphone-related fatal crashes reported by states. For example, Tennessee reported 93 fatal crashes involving cellphone use in 2011 while New York reported only one, despite its much larger population. In the same year, Texas reported 40 such cases, while neighboring Louisiana reported none.

In 2012, U.S. traffic deaths increased for the first time in seven years. Based on available data, the National Safety Council estimates that 25 percent of all crashes involved cellphone use.

"The public should be aware that cellphone-involved fatal crashes are not accurately being reported," Bill Windsor, associate vice president of consumer safety at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, said in the news release. The company partly funded the study.

"These statistics influence national prevention priorities, funding decisions, media attention, legislation and policy, even vehicle and roadway engineering. There are wide-ranging, negative ramifications to safety if a fatal crash factor is substantially under-reported, as appears to be the case of cellphone use in crashes," Windsor said.

-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: National Safety Council, news release, May 7, 2013

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FDA Warns of Fatal Rash From Hep C Drug Incivek

By Cari Nierenberg
WebMD Health News

Dec. 19, 2012 -- The FDA warned people taking the hepatitis C drug Incivek (telaprevir) that it has received reports of a serious skin rash from the medication, which has led to several deaths.

The deaths occurred in people taking Incivek combination treatment. This antiviral treatment includes the drug Incivek in combination with the drugs peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.

This combination treatment is most commonly used for genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C in adults with compensated liver disease (meaning the liver has some damage but still works), including those who have cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or those who have previously received interferon-based treatment.

The FDA says some people had developed a serious skin rash while on the combination drug treatment, yet they continued to take the three medications despite the rash worsening and leading to life-threatening symptoms.

The FDA advises people receiving Incivek combination treatment to be aware of the potential for developing a rash as a side effect of drug treatment. It recommends that anyone who gets a serious skin reaction after taking these drugs stop them immediately and seek emergency medical care.

The FDA will be adding a boxed warning about these potential problems to the Incivek drug label. The warning will instruct people receiving Incivek combination treatment to immediately discontinue all three medications if they develop a rash.

In a news release from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, makers of Incivek, the company said that less than 1% of people who received Incivek combination treatment had a serious skin reaction to it when the treatment was tested in a late-stage clinical trial. These patients required hospitalization for the skin reaction, yet all recovered from it.

The FDA also encourages patients and health care professionals to report any serious or harmful side effects to its MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. This report can be submitted online. Forms can also be obtained by calling 800-332-1088, and then faxing to 800-FDA-0178. 

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