Miscategorization of Deaths in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Events Database

As the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) moves to hasten approval of medical devices, data from postmarketing studies and registries are increasingly relied on to inform decision-making. With less time for premarketing clinical studies, postmarketing data are the principal way adverse events and risks become apparent. Even for high-risk implanted devices, premarketing trials are usually small and have short-term follow-up. The process of reporting adverse events is cumbersome, and reporting rates are low.