On June 17, Guidant Corporation voluntarily recalled nearly 50,000 of its cardiac defibrillators because of potential malfunctions. A defibrillator emits an electrical jolt that shocks a chaotically beating heart back into rhythm.

The recalled Guidant defibrillators could potentially short-circuit just when they were needed to produce a life-saving shock.

On June 24, Guidant, already under scrutiny for delaying disclosures about flawed products, urged doctors to stop implanting its most sophisticated heart devices because of a fault that might cause some of the 40,000 units already implanted not to work properly.

About 42,000 people worldwide have Guidant defibrillators implanted. Some of these people might need legal representation. If you or a loved one has had a malfunction or device removal related to a Guidant defibrillator, please contact our office today. Our legal nurse consultant Kristy Morstad, R.N., will answer any questions you might have. To inquire by email: guidantinfo@slackdavis.com