Internal Memo Used as Evidence in Fresenius Death Lawsuits
By Robert J. Boumis
Fresenius Medical Care is an organization that manufactures dialysis equipment and supplies, in addition to running its owns dialysis centers. Dialysis is a process that replaces the natural function of healthy kidneys when these organs are damaged. It entails removing impurities from the blood through a clever application of chemistry and physics.
Despite the popularity of Fresenius Medical Care, there is mounting evidence that Fresenius’s dialysis products may have caused the deaths of some patients, and the company may have had foreknowledge of the problems prior to recalls.
In an internal memo dated November 4, 2011, the Fresenius Medical Office informed in-house physicians and medical professionals of a potential problem. Per the memo, “recent analysis performed using FMCNA hemodialysis (HD) safety data confirms that alkalosis is a significant risk factor associated with cardiopulmonary (CP) arrest in the dialysis unit, independent of and additive to the risk of CP arrest associated with pre-dialysis hypokalemia.”
The memo indicates that two products, NaturaLyte and GranuFlo, may have had the wrong bicarbonate levels. This could set off a series of issues, including alkalosis. Alkalosis is a state where the blood pH becomes to basic or alkaline, as opposed to acidic. Many of the complicated biological reactions that keep human beings alive have adapted to function at very specific pH ranges. When blood pH rises too high, as it does in alkalosis, these reactions can stop working properly. This includes the ion channels in muscle tissue. When this muscle tissue is in the heart, this can cause cardiac arrest.
However, despite the information in the memo, Fresenius’s dialysis products were not recalled until March of 2012.
Lawsuits have been filed against Fresenius. These GranuFlo recall lawsuits allege that the company was aware of the serious risks, including death from cardiac arrest, associated with their products. These GranuFlo lawsuits point to the November 2011 memo as evidence that Fresenius was aware of the risks associated with their dialysis products, but failed to act on this information in a timely manner.
The lawsuits further allege that Fresenius initially actively downplayed these risks, preventing patients and health care workers, from having all of the information they needed to make informed decisions regarding their medical care. Plaintiffs in these GranuFlo recall lawsuits seek the recoupment of medical expenses, attorney costs, and in some cases, monies for the wrongful death of a loved one.
If you, or someone you care about, received dialysis treatment using Fresenius products and went on to suffer from serious medical issues, you most certainly have a lot to deal with. Patients who survive the kinds of complications that have been linked to these products may have long convalescence and lost wages, not to mention mounting medical costs. In many cases, survivors may have to cope with the loss of a loved one, both financially and emotionally.
If you’ve found yourself in this situation, you need to remember that you have rights and there are steps that you can take to regain control over your situation. You can start by visiting the Kidney Dialysis Heart Attack, GranuFlo & NaturaLyte Recall Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. Learn more about your rights and submit your information for a free legal review.
All medical device, dangerous drug and medical class action and lawsuit news updates are listed in the Drug and Medical Device section of Top Class Actions.
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One thought on Internal Memo Used as Evidence in Fresenius Death Lawsuits
yes i took a several times this naturallyte