Federal advisory panel urges stricter oversight of external defibrillators.

The New York Times(1/26, B3, Wilson) reported that "a federal advisory panel on Tuesday called for stricter oversight of the defibrillators available in many schools, gyms, lobbies, and other places that are used by the public to try to save victims of major heart attacks." Meanwhile, FDA "staff...recommended tighter controls over the automated external defibrillators, citing concerns about product recalls and reliability." The Times adds that "Dr. Bram D. Zuckerman, director of the division of cardiovascular devices in the FDA Office of Device Evaluation, said the companies would have 12 to 18 months after publication of a new rule to develop any additional studies or reports required to prove safety and effectiveness."