China's Ministry of Health Tuesday ordered hospitals and medical institutes to immediately stop using a pain-killing injection product with the batch number of 080524 made by Zhejiang Tianrui Pharmaceutical Co. for causing serious adverse effects.

The ministry said it received a report Tuesday from the Guangdong Provincial Health Department saying that 13 patients in Zhongshan City reported symptoms such as shivering and fever after taking the injection product with a brand name of Xiangdan.

The injection is used to help activate blood circulation and kill pain.

Tests by the Guangdong Institute for Drug Control found that the injection's pyrogen agent did not meet standards. Pyrogen is used to increase body temperature.

Xiangdan injections under other batch numbers of the company are not banned but need to be closely monitored in clinical use, according to the Ministry of Health.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2009)