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Urgent Triad Recall

Urgent Recall Notification

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Triad has officially issued a recall of their branded and private label alcohol and jelly lubricating products to the distributor/end user level. Please click on the link below to view the official notification.

We have been instructed by Triad to accept returns on all affected product. (Expired or partial product will not be accepted). Customers must contact Medezen customer service to receive an RMA prior to returning the affected product.

We have also received notification from select Custom Pack Manufacturers (CPT) that the affected product may be contained in certain custom packs. Customers are instructed to remove the recalled product upon pack utilization.

We understand that this recall has had a massive impact onthe healthcare supply chain and are working very closely with all industry partners to ensure accurate information is being disseminated and all available substitute product is being made available to our customers. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this situation.

Official Triad Letter:

Sent via email attachment

January 5, 2011

To Our Customers,

The purpose of this letter is to communicate to you current operational issues at Triad which will have a direct effect on our ability to supply you with alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and sterile lube jelly until March 2011.

Earlier this month, The Triad Group was advised by the FDA of an adverse reaction involving a non-sterile alcohol prep pad in a children’s hospital in the state of Colorado. Although there was no conclusive evidence linking our alcohol prep pads to the original problem, Triad elected to shut down the alcohol prep pad and swab production and cease shipping product until we could analyze all relevant information along with conducting a thorough review of our processes.

Using an abundance of caution, our approach was top to bottom, inside and out, looking at all areas in the production of alcohol prep pads. Working in conjunction with the FDA on site, our review found areas where the potential for contamination could occur. We are taking the necessary steps to eliminate these areas going forward and unfortunately this will necessitate a complete revalidation of our alcohol lines along with the lube jelly lines. The revalidation will commence next week; project leaders for sterile product, non-sterile product, and sterile lube jelly have been assigned and their teams are in place. We have enlisted industry consultants to augment our own staff, and again using an abundance of caution, we will be making considerable investments and changes to these core areas of our operation. Although this disruption is unfortunate, these steps will make Triad a better and stronger company.

Due to the revalidation efforts above we anticipate resuming production and distribution on both lube jellies and alcohol prep pads late first quarter 2011. The timing of the alcohol swabs is yet undetermined.

We realize this creates a disruption in supply and hope you understand that this is necessary in order for Triad to resume full production in compliance with our new standards. We recognize that you may need to utilize alternate sources to cover your needs during this time frame, but hope that you will allow us, as the industry leader, to resume your alcohol and lube jelly business long term once the revalidations are complete.

In addition to this communication you have been sent under separate cover from our regulatory group information regarding a recall of sterile lube jelly, alcohol prep pads and alcohol swabs.

We are available to answer any further questions you may have. Please feel free to contact any of us as below:

Peter Schnaittacher peters@triad-group.net 860-923-2257

Mike Weiner mweiner@triad-group.net 704-953-3017

Kerri McCarthy kerrri.mccarthy@triad-group.net 262-538-2900 x2760

Thank you in advance for your understating and cooperation and we will keep you abreast of further developments and timelines regarding these issues.

Sincerely,

Peter, Mike, and Kerri

700 West North Shore Drive ▼ Hartland, WI 53029 800.288.1288 ▼ 262.538.2900 ▼ www.triad-group.net

How Surgical Instruments are Made

This short video from the Discovery Channel illustrates exactly what goes in to making medical grade Surgical Retractors. Surgical retractors have been used by Doctors and Surgeons for centuries. You will find them in hospitals, medical clinics and surgery centers around the world.

During surgery, an assortment of instruments are used to hold back tissues. This is done so that the area of the body that is being operated on is easily accessible. The instruments used are collectively referred to as surgical retractors. They play a vital role during surgery, as they ensure that there is an unobstructed view of the surgical site. These special medical devices also keep the retracted tissues from being harmed.

Medical retractors come in a plethora of shapes, sizes, and designs. They are usually referenced by the type of tissue or organ to be retracted; ( eg. abdominal retractors, lung retractors, and dermal retractors). Many varieties, such as the Lahey Retractor, are named after the doctor or surgeon who invented them.

MEDEZEN, INC., LAUNCHES MANAGED-CARE MEDICAL SUPPLY DISCOUNT PRICING THROUGH VENDOR-DIRECT PARTICIPATION

LOS ANGELES—Medezen, Inc., a California-based corporation providing medical supplies at steep discount prices, has geared up for the era of expanded managed care by now providing online supplies through participating vendor pricing competition.

"Doctors offices, university medical schools, medical centers, surgical centers, nursing centers, homecare, and other healthcare providers will enjoy the benefits of lowest pricing possible through competitive bidding by the vendor, directly through a user-friendly and secure Web site, Medezen.com," said company spokesman Jeff Sherman.

Medezen.com has also announced that new vendors can enroll as participating suppliers, through April 20, 2011, during which time the standard enrollment fee will be waived.

"This will enable Medezen to carefully evaluate vendors to protect the medical professional," said spokesman Sherman. "We want to ensure not only the best prices, but also that our customers will receive the outstanding service and pricing to which they are entitled. All products and services provided are fully backed by Medezen.com."

In the new era of managed care, large numbers of medical facilities will need the best pricing and reliability because of rising operating costs and the pressure to provide care to millions of Americans previously uninsured.

On average, medical professionals in charge of purchasing will find that using Medezen.com will save up to a third.

All purchases are made through Medezen.com's secure Web site, ensuring privacy and hassle-free purchasing. Medezen.com's search engine provides several options – various manufacturers, prices, shipping, and complete product descriptions.

Payment is made by credit card and shipments are sent out normally within one day for in-stock items.

For hard-to-find products, Medezen.com provides, as a free service, all searches and competitive price checking, according to Sherman.

"We constantly survey the the largest supply providers to ensure that the lowest price is always being offered," he added.

For more information, call (855) 633-3936. Toll free fax: (888) 723-8426 jeff@medezen.com E-mail:

Sutures and Needle Points Refresher For Medical Professionals

This is the first of a two part series delving into surgical sutures, needles, threads, sizes and absorbability. Medezen carries nearly all the different sutures used in surgery centers, hospitals, clinics, medical centers and doctors offices. Among the many brands of surgical and medical sutures that Medezen sells at discounted prices are, Ethicon, Look, Surgical Specialties, Aesculap, Angiotech and Sharpoint sutures.

Surgical sutures have been around for many millennia, the first reports of surgical sutures date back to 3000 BC and ancient Egypt. Hippocrates wrote of simplified suture techniques in ancient Rome. The modern father of suture technique was Joseph Lister who endorsed routine sterilization for catgut sutures in the 1860s. The sutures of yore, however, bear very little resemblance to the high tech medical sutures used in hospitals, clinics, surgery centers and doctors offices today. Todays sutures are made primarily of synthetic polymer fibers.

As important as the sutures are, any serious discusson on the topic of sutures must start with the topic of needles.

There are two basic types of surgical needles: Traumatic needles which do not include the suture thread and Atraumatic needles which marry an eyeless needle to a specific length of suture thread. Through a process called swaging the suture thread is attached to the atraumatic needle at the factory. Atraumatic needles are a staple at hospitals and surgery centers; with the suture pre-attached, the doctor or nurse do not have to waste time threading the suture through the eye of the needle. Also imperative is that the size of the atraumatic needle suture is much smaller since the thread does not come from both ends like in the traumatic needle suture. This leaves a smaller imprint and less tearing of the tissue.

There are many different shapes for surgical and medical needles. Some of the most commonly used needles for surgery and medical procedures include straight, 1/4 circle, 3/8 circle, 1/2 circle, 5/8 circle. Below is a chart with pictures and diagrams detailing their differences.

Needles may also be classified by their point geometry. The needles most commonly used by doctors, nurses and medical professionals today are:

Taper - where the needle body is round and tapers smoothly to a point. This type of needle penetrates and passes through tissues by stretching without cutting and minimizes potential tearing.
Cutting - where the needle body is triangular in shape and has a sharpened cutting edge on the inside. The needle has at least 2 opposing cutting edges (the point is usually triangular). This needle is designed for penetration through moderately thick tissues. The point cuts a pathway through tissue and is ideal for skin sutures.
Reverse Cutting – are needles where the cutting edge is on the outside. These needles are stronger than conventional cutting needles and have a reduced risk of cutting out tissue.
Trocar Point or Tapercut - A round bodied needle with a honed reverse cutting point generally used where a strong penetrating point is required.
Blunt Points This type of needle dissects friable tissue rather than cutting it. The point is rounded and blunt, ideal for suturing the liver and kidneys.
Side Cutting or Spatula Points are flat on top and bottom to reduce tissue injury with a cutting edge along the front to one side. The needle allows maximum ease of penetration and control as it passes between and through tissue layers.

Sutures are a staple in operating rooms, doctor offices and surgery clinics throughout the world. To purchase sutures and all other medical, surgical and hospital supplies at a deep discount come to Medezen.com. We do the shopping for you!