Over its five year lifetime, Vioxx was prescribed to over 80 million people, and the year before it was removed from the market sales produced revenue of approximately $2.5 billion. It was one of the most lucrative drugs ever taken off the market by its manufacturer. Vioxx’s huge market success was a result of it aiding so many people in reducing or eliminating chronic or acute pain from osteoarthritis, dysmenorrhoea.

There is a lot of skepticism and controversy surrounding the release, studies, and eventual withdraw of Vioxx from the market. After its acceptance by the FDA as a “safe and effective” drug, later studies revealed that it may not actually be safe. The 12 month long Vioxx GI Outcomes Research (VIGOR) study materialized initial concerns about Vioxx and its relationship to cardiovascular problems. This study led to warning labels about Vioxx increasing the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Any beliefs of openness and honesty that existed about Merck exposing possible risks were quickly halted when in just months after the first VIGOR study was published, more heart attacks caused by the drug were uncovered. The company’s rebuttal to the uncertainty of the accuracy of the study was that these additional heart attacks occurred after the predetermined time of the study had lapsed.

The abdominal aorta supplies blood to the abdomen, pelvis, and legs. Dr. Rajeev Sareen completed an emergency procedure on Mr. Vuckovich on December 22, 2001 and in the opinion of a jury in December of 2005, Dr. Sareen failed to complete a CT scan that could have shown the risk of Mr. Vuckovich’s aneurism. According to Barry Rooth, the Vuckovich’s attorney, Mr. Vuckovich was misdiagnosed and treated for having a kidney stone.

Vuckovich’s wife, Cynthia, received $2.2 million in the settlement and his three daughters each received $750,000. Rooth stated that he felt “heartened that the jury understood that the care required a CT under these circumstances.”

In 33 states, the owner of a dog is completely responsible if his dogs hurts, or worse, kills a person. Many other states are in the process of passing similar bills. The very significant incident that propelled many of these legislations that hold dog owners accountable was a San Francisco, CA case in which a lawyer’s dogs attacked and killed Diane Whipple. Majorie Knoller and her husband were both sentenced to time in prison and hefty fines, and were held liable to Whipple’s death as well. This case of family pets attacking a neighbor reminds us to take special care when dealing with any animal, whether we know him or not.

Many studies have attempted to quantify the relationship between dog breed and chance of attack, although the reliability of these studies has been questioned. It is imperative that those without prior experience with dogs seek professional help in training their first furry friend. Some dogs may be predisposed to having aggressive personalities but good training can greatly reduce the risk of such aggressive traits becoming a reality. As well, a dog that is not prone to be violent may be if not handled and treated correctly. In general, we need to bear in mind that like us, dogs are not always predictable and we should always be mindful of their aggressive tendencies.