Baxter's multiple-dose vial heparin linked to allergic disorders

The US Food and Drug Administration has said that Baxter Healthcare has temporarily stopped manufacturing multiple-dose vials of the injectable blood-thinning drug heparin due to reports of serious allergic reactions and hypotension (low blood pressure) in patients who receive high "bolus" doses of the . These have included difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating and rapidly falling blood pressure that can lead to life-threatening shock. Four people have died after receiving heparin, although the relationship to the drug is unclear, the FDA noted.