The Nation : Makers Recall Heart Units

Two medical manufacturers have issued recalls for nearly 11,000 hospital and ambulance heart defibrillators that may carry faulty power packs, the Food and Drug Administration said. Officials said the FDA is investigating an undetermined number of deaths but that they may have been caused by devices not involved in the recall. The recalls of the devices, which give electric jolts that can restore proper heartbeats, were issued by Physio Control Corp. of Redmond, Wash., and Datascope Corp. of Paramus, N.J., because of nickel cadmium battery failures.