These problems often involve heart attacks or cardiac arrest occurring within hours after dialysis treatments involving the administration of GranuFlo.
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) July 01, 2013
A new federal lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (Case No. 3:2013cv00073) alleges that the dialysis drug GranuFlo caused the plaintiff to suffer a heart attack shortly after dialysis treatment, causing a fatal collision.* This case has been added to federal multidistrict litigation No.2428 now pending before Judge Douglas P. Woodlock in Massachusetts, which lists 161 pending cases as part of this litigation.**
Several internal memoranda circulated within Fresenius, the maker of GranuFlo, suggest that Fresenius may have known of the heart attack risk associated with its product’s use, even prior to an FDA recall.*** This increased risk is linked to elevated bicarbonate levels, a contributing factor in cardiac arrest.***
Because of the dangerous nature of GranuFlo, the FDA has issued a Class I recall of GranuFlo.**** In issuing the recall, the FDA warned consumers that the increased sodium bicarbonate levels, “may contribute to metabolic alkalosis, which is a significant risk factor associated with low blood pressure, hypokalemia, hypoxemia, hypercapnia and cardiac arrhythmia, which, if not appropriately treated, may culminate in cardiopulmonary arrest.”**** The FDA concluded by stating that the serious adverse health consequences associated with GranuFlo may even include death.****
Attorney William Audet, whose law firm Audet and Partners, LLP represents several plaintiffs in active lawsuits against Fresenius, is not surprised by the new lawsuit filings. "The complaints being added to the multidistrict litigation echo problems articulated by individuals with whom we continue to speak on a weekly basis. These problems often involve heart attacks or cardiac arrest occurring within hours after dialysis treatments involving the administration of GranuFlo. The evidence emerging through discovery suggests that Fresenius may have failed to act in a responsible fashion upon becoming aware of this potential heart attack link several years ago."
If you or someone you know has suffered an injury that may be related to GranuFlo, please contact Audet & Partners, LLP by calling us toll free at 800.965.1461. For additional information, you can visit our informational website at http://www.granuflodialysisrisk.com.
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Case No. 3:2013cv00073
** United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, May 14, 2013; http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending%20MDL%20Dockets_By%20District_May-14-2013.pdf
*** New York Times, June 15, 2012; http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/health/fda-investigates-fresenius-for-failure-to-warn-of-risk.html
**** FDA, May 25, 2012; http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm305630.htm