CHICAGO (AP) -- A warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accuses a Chicago-area health care system of failing to get the consent of emergency room patients before enrolling them in a clinical study.
The agency criticized Advocate Health Care over a study involving patients who needed intubation, an emergency procedure in which a tube is inserted down the throat to open an airway or give medication. The study was designed to test the effectiveness of a sedative called etomidate.
The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday that the subjects were patients at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
Advocate said in a statement it has "taken immediate steps to ensure this does not occur again" and is confident the matter will soon be resolved with the FDA.
