The Recall Desk
HighFDA (Devices)·Z-1031-2024·Announced 2024-02-14

BD BBL Sensi Disc Imipenem susceptibility test accuracy and quality failures

BD BBL Sensi Disc Imipenem susceptibility test discs may fail to accurately assess antibiotic resistance. This could delay diagnosis or lead to inappropriate antibiotic treatment selection.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: This is an FDA Class II recall with no reported illnesses or hospitalizations. The hazard—accuracy and quality control failures in antibiotic susceptibility testing—is theoretical and could result in delayed diagnosis or inappropriate antibiotic selection, representing a risk-of-harm situation without confirmed adverse events.

Plain-English summary

BD BBL Sensi Disc Imipenem is a medical device used for in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing. It consists of paper discs impregnated with imipenem (10 micrograms) and is used to test whether bacteria are resistant or susceptible to this antibiotic. The product is manufactured by Becton Dickinson & Co.

The FDA has identified potential failures in the accuracy, reproducibility, and quality control of these test discs when testing Haemophilus influenzae. These failures could result in incorrect test results.

Incorrect test results could delay diagnosis, lead to the selection of inappropriate antibiotics for treatment, or result in extended and unnecessary antibiotic therapy. Approximately 2.3 million units of the affected product have been distributed domestically nationwide and internationally worldwide.

Laboratories and healthcare facilities using affected lot numbers should stop using the product and contact Becton Dickinson & Co. for guidance on replacement or return instructions. Affected lot numbers are provided in the official FDA recall notice.

The recalled product

Product
BD BBL Sensi Disc Imipenem- 10 ug, used for semi-quantitative in vitro susceptibility testing. Catalog Number 231644 and 231645¿
Manufacturer
Becton Dickinson & Co.
Hazard
  • diagnostic-failure
  • delayed-diagnosis
  • improper-antibiotic-selection

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.