AP examines issues inhibiting autonomous vehicles.

An AP (2/4, Krisher, Writer) analysis regarding autonomous vehicles presents five “problems that researchers must overcome to start giving rides without humans behind the wheel.” One of these problems is approval on the part of consumers. According to the AP, a deadly crash involving an autonomous vehicle operated by Uber “rattled consumers who someday will be asked to ride in self-driving vehicles.” The AP says that surveys which were carried out following this incident “showed that drivers are reluctant to give up control to a computer.” A survey “by AAA found that 73 percent of American drivers would be too fearful to ride in a fully self-driving vehicle,” whereas that figure was “63 percent in late 2017.”

Fiat Chrysler recalls 180,000 Ram 1500 pickup trucks.

The AP (1/25, Kopan) reports that Fiat Chrysler issued a recall for “more than 182,000 pickup trucks worldwide to fix an electrical problem that can knock out the power steering.” The recall affects certain 2019 Ram 1500 pickups, mostly in the US and Canada, although “one-third are still on dealer lots.” FCA has not received any reports of injuries related to the problem.

        Automotive News (1/26, Szatkowski, 183K) reports the Ram 1500 “won North American Truck of the Year at the Detroit auto show this month,” and FCA’s December sales in the US were up “14 percent, driven in part by a 34 percent increase in Ram pickup sales.”

Hyundai, KIA issue recall over increased fire risk.

NBC Nightly News (1/16, story 8, 0:15, Holt, 8.03M) reported that “Hyundai and KIA are going ahead with a recall of nearly 170,000 vehicles due to fire risks, though the government agency that oversees recalls is mostly closed due to the shutdown.” The AP (1/16, Krisher, Press) reports that “the problem stems from improper repairs during previous recalls for engine failures.” Both manufacturers are “under investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has been trying to figure out whether initial recalls covered enough vehicles.” The AP notes that “NHTSA employees who do safety investigations and recall notifications are not at work” due to the government shutdown. KIA spokesman James Bell claims they will move ahead with the recall despite government delays, saying, “Making our customers comfortable is vastly more important than making sure we’re following additional government processes right now.”

        Reuters (1/16, Shepardson) reports that the recall is to replace “a high-pressure fuel pipe that may have been damaged or improperly installed as part of an engine replacement during the prior recall.” Six fires have been “linked to the new recall but no reports of injuries, while Hyundai said it had no reports of fires linked to the new recall.”

        The Detroit News (1/16, 521K), Cars (1/16, 1.21M), Consumer Reports (1/16, 14.13M), and Fortune (1/16, 3.95M) also report.

Americans more likely to die from opioid overdose than motor vehicle crash, report says.

NBC Nightly News (1/14, story 11, 1:50, Holt, 9.3M) reported, “Safety experts” are “grimly noting for the first time ever, the odds of dying from an overdose are higher than dying in a car crash.”

        The New York Times (1/14, Mazzei, 17.59M) reports that “for the first time, Americans are more likely to die of an opioid overdose than in a vehicle crash.” The most common causes of death, however, remain heart disease and cancer, according to a report from the National Safety Council.

        USA Today (1/14, Molina, 12.05M) reports researchers used data from the National Center for Health Statistics and “found the lifetime odds of dying by an accidental opioid overdose were one in 96, while the odds of dying by motor vehicle crash were one in 103.”

        CBS News (1/14, Welch, 4.24M) reports on its website that the risk of dying from an opioid overdose is greater than the risk “of dying from a fall, a gun assault, pedestrian accident, or drowning.”

        Also covering the story are the Huffington Post (1/14, Golgowski, 2.63M), The Hill (1/14, Anapol, 2.57M), Newsweek (1/14, Zhao, 2.02M), U.S. News & World Report (1/14, Newman, 2.45M), Vice (1/14, Ockerman, 1.48M), and HealthDay (1/14, Preidt, 21K).

Toyota adds 1.7 million cars to Takata airbag recall.

Business Insider (1/10, 5.01M) reports that Toyota Motor Company “said Wednesday it is recalling another 1.7 million vehicles worldwide for potentially faulty Takata airbag inflators as part of a multi-year industry recall campaign announced in 2016.” Toyota’s new recall “relates to vehicles from the 2010 through 2017 model years and includes 1.3 million vehicles in the United States.” Affected models include: “2010-2013 model year Corolla, 2010-2013 Matrix, 2010-2016 4Runner, and 2011-2014 Sienna.”

        Consumer Reports (1/10, 14.13M) reports that the latest announcement “covers passenger-side front airbag inflators,” and is part of “the effort by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and automakers to space out the replacement of Takata airbag inflators based on the risk to drivers and passengers.”

        MLive (MI) (1/10, 845K) reports the recall includes “the 2010 -2012 Lexus ES 350, 2010 through 2017 GX 460, 2010-2015 IS 250C and 350C, the 2010 through 2013 IS 250 and 350, and the 2010-2014 IS-F, and also the 2010-2015 Scion XB.” The NHTSA “announced in May 2016 that its ‘five-phase’ Takata recall will be based on the prioritization of risk, which will pull the age of the inflators, exposure to high humidity and varying high temperatures into its formula.”

        Newsweek (1/10, Godlewski, 2.02M), and Fast Company (1/10, 2.41M) also report.

Chances of dying from opioids now higher than vehicle crash, Safety Council says.

NPR (1/14, Stewart, 3.43M) reports the National Safety Council says in a new report based on 2017 data that “Americans now have a 1 in 96 chance of dying from an opioid overdose,” a greater risk that the “the probability of dying in a motor vehicle crash,” which “is 1 in 103.” In a statement, the council said the “crisis is worsening with an influx of illicit fentanyl,” which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in December is now responsible for most drug overdose deaths in the US.

DaVinci Surgical System Poses Unusual Patient Risks for Gynecological Surgeries

The daVinci surgical system has been in the forefront of the national news lately. Manufactured by Intuitive Surgical, the daVinci is a complex robotic system which is

represented as being a way in which various surgeries can be performed in a minimally invasive manner. The company represents that because the surgeries are

“minimally invasive”, there is less scarring, less blood loss, and less surgical recovery time for the patient.

To use the system, the surgeon controls the giant robot from a console. Through small incisions, the tips of the robotic arms are maneuvered from the console to perform

surgery. The device is most often used in hysterectomies and other gynecological procedures, but it can be used for other surgeries, including prostate surgery.

Use of the system is NOT without risk, however.  The FDA’s MAUDE system lists approximately 20,000 adverse events involving the daVinci over the last decade.  The list contains

catastrophic injuries and 274 deaths. In fact, there have been reported injuries to the ureter, colon, and other tissue and body organs. There have been reported injuries to

arterial vessels, causing extensive blood loss.

According to a recent report by NBC News, the daVinci has also had 175 recalls. While some of the recalls were initiated for minor revisions and changes, some were also

required to prevent additional patient injury. Perhaps most unexpected, there have been thermal, or burn injuries reported by doctors and patients. In a 2013 Warning Letter

issued to the manufacturer, the FDA noted problems caused by electrical arcing.  Specifically, it has been reported that electricity arced from the tip of the robotic arm to the

patient’s flesh, causing the patient to suffer burn/ thermal injuries. Certainly, most patients who agree to undergo “minimally invasive” surgery do not expect electrical burn injuries

to tissue or body organs.

While some of the problems with the daVinci are related to the dangers of the device itself, other problems are attributable to lack of surgeon training on the device.  It is reported

that a surgeon’s inadequate training is a leading cause for patient injuries. It might surprise patients to know that there are no training requirements imposed on a surgeon before a surgeon

can use the device. While the manufacturer offers training, it does not require training before the device is sold.  Further, the FDA has stated that it has no authority

to oversee a surgeon’s training or to impose training requirements on a surgeon before the device is used on patients.  

Thus, a patient given the option of surgery with the daVinci system is faced with a daunting choice: either opt for an open procedure with all of the usual risks and down-time of the procedure,

or agree to the robotic technique and trust that the patient’s surgeon has the capability to control the robot without incurring injury.