Ala. Man Files Granuflo/Naturalyte Wrongful Death Lawsuit

An Alabama man has filed a Granuflo/Naturalyte wrongful death lawsuit against Fresenius USA Inc., alleging that the additive used in his wife’s kidney dialysis treatment caused the heart attack that took her life.

Kathy Hopper was undergoing kidney dialysis treatment at a treatment center where Granuflo and/or Naturalyte were used as part of the process. On Dec. 25, 2011, she suffered a severe heart attack that took her life.

Her husband, Auburn Hopper, is suing Granuflo/Naturalyte maker Fresenius because he believes that the two kidney dialysis additives were responsible for the heart attack, which lead to his wife’s death.

Dialysis Treatment Goes Wrong

GranuFlo and NaturaLyte

are used to remove impurities from the blood during kidney dialysis treatment.

During dialysis a solution goes through an artificial kidney to clean the blood, since the kidneys are no longer able to do the work themselves. The solution is made up of three fluids: ultra-pure water, bicarbonate concentrate, and acid concentrate.

GranuFlo and NaturaLyte work by neutralizing the acid in the blood by providing bicarbonate. For kidney dialysis treatment to work and do the job of filtering the blood that is normally done by the kidneys, an acid concentrate such as GranuFlo or NaturaLyte need to be used. When the acid concentrate enters the bloodstream they are naturally converted to bicarbonate. Bicarbonate is how more than 90 percent of carbon dioxide takes form in the bloodstream, keeping the blood from becoming too acidic. This is a job normally done by healthy kidneys.

The problem with GranuFlo and NaturaLyte is that they were not properly dosed and were linked to a potential rapid increase of bicarbonate, leading to a condition known as alkalosis — meaning that the blood has become too alkaline.  If a person develops alkalosis, the risk of a catastrophic heart side effect becomes 6 to 8 times more likely and can lead to sudden death.

Internal Memo Notes GranuFlo Deaths

In November 2011, Fresenius sent a memo to some of its own clinics stating that GranuFlo was responsible for 941 deaths due to cardiac arrest at clinics in 2010. They didn’t notify all of the clinics where the acid concentrates were used until March 2012, after Fresenius was questioned by the FDA upon receiving an anonymous copy of November 2011 memo.

In June 2012, the FDA issued a Class I recall of NaturaLyte and GranuFlo. It is the most serious recall that the FDA can issue because it’s restricted only for products that may result in severe injury or death.

Mr. Hopper is charging Fresenius with negligence, strict liability, violating Alabama state law regarding liability, breach of implied warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, fraud and deceit, wantonness, unjust enrichment and wrongful death.

The Granuflo/Naturalyte lawsuit is Auburn M. Hopper, Jr. v. Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. et al. Case No. 4:13-cv-02320-VEH, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Middle Division.

Help for Victims of Kidney Dialysis Injury, Death

If you or a loved one suffered a heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke, metabolic alkalosis or other injury after undergoing kidney dialysis with GranuFlo and/or NaturaLyte, you may be eligible to take legal action against the manufacturer of the dialysis drugs. Filing a lawsuit may be the only way you’ll be able to obtain compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering and other damages. Learn more and obtain a free case evaluation at the GranuFlo/NaturaLyte Recall Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.