Dialysis Drug Side Effects Concern Many

Dialysis Drug Side Effects Concern Many

By Christina Drury

Whenever patients take medication – regardless of what the prescription is for – it is essential that they are made aware of the possible complications that may occur with the use of the drug. With the dialysis products GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, there have been several concerns with alkali dosing errors wherein too much alkali can cause cardiac arrest or even death.

Fresenius Only Warned a Few

When it became apparent that there were dosing errors with GranuFlo and NaturaLyte and patients were suffering various side effects, Fresenius did not choose to do the right thing and notify all hemodialysis clinics that were using these products. Rather, they informed their own clinics in a private memo. This memo was anonymously leaked to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which promptly investigated the claims and subsequently issued a Class I recall of the two drugs in June of 2012.

Hundreds of Deaths Attributed to GranuFlo Side Effects

A study carried out by Fresenius themselves revealed that in Fresenius dialysis clinics, hundreds of those who were given GranuFlo suffered cardiac arrest and sudden death. It was determined that in 2010 alone, 941 patients suffered these fatal GranuFlo side effects in Fresenius clinics. This means that other clinics could have had similar outcomes without knowing the reason. GranuFlo lawsuits are alleging that Fresenius Medical Care was negligent in only informing Fresenius clinics of these side effects and not the general public.

Plaintiffs Seek Consolidation of Claims

In 2012, the plaintiffs petitioned for a consolidation of the GranuFlo lawsuits.  At the time, there were 11 lawsuits pending, each making similar claims about the GranuFlo side effects. Fresenius filed papers agreeing with the motion to consolidate in January of 2013. Fresenius does not believe that the claimants will be successful because they cannot reasonably prove that Fresenius products are dangerous. Furthermore Fresenius touts that if their products were indeed, as dangerous as the plaintiffs claim, they would not still be on the market. Despite the fact that the products are now safely used in clinics, there is no mistaking the dosing errors that occurred and the memo sent to the FDA could be the smoking gun.

Still Time to File GranuFlo Lawsuits

If you have been injured by an overdose of alkali or bicarbonate due to the use of GranuFlo or its counterpart, NaturaLyte, you may be eligible to join ongoing GranuFlo lawsuits and investigations. You can get more information by visiting the Kidney Dialysis Heart Attack, GranuFlo & NaturaLyte Recall Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. Here you can find out more details about the investigation and the GranuFlo side effects that prompted the investigations and lawsuits in the first place.