Dialysis requires the use of chemicals to help cleanse the blood of toxins in people whose kidneys do not function properly. One of these products, GranuFlo, is a dry powder that is used for this purpose. Injuries resulting from GranuFlo Use have prompted patients and their families to seek legal counsel and consider filing a GranuFlo lawsuit.
If you or a loved one took GranuFlo and suffered severe side effects, including heart attack or stroke, contact Attorney Group today for more information. We can answer your questions in a free and confidential consultation. If you choose to pursue a claim for injuries, we can connect you with an affiliated GranuFlo lawsuit attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process. The time to pursue a claim is limited, so contact us today.
What Is GranuFlo?
Fresenius Medical Care marketed their GranuFlo product as a convenient and cost-effective way dialysis clinics to provide the chemicals that are used in the blood detoxifying process. These chemicals, called diasylates, convert to sodium bicarbonate, which neutralizes the acid compounds that are produced by normal body processes.
Normally, the kidneys do the work of neutralizing these toxic compounds, but people whose kidney function is compromised must use dialysis to clean these toxic compounds from the body. GranuFlo comes in a concentrated form that makes it cost-effective for dialysis centers to use. It also contains a higher concentration of the active ingredients normally found in common diasylates.
However, patients on whom the product was used were found to have a higher risk of the cardiac arrhythmia that led to heart attack and stroke. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Class I warning for GranuFlo in 2011, warning healthcare institutions about the problems associated with its use. As a result, GranuFlo was recalled by the company in 2012.
Risks of GranuFlo Use
Patients who use GranuFlo have experienced low blood pressure, low blood oxygen levels, lowered levels of potassium in the bloodstream and higher levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. For sensitive individuals these problems can lead to even more serious medical issues.
These abnormal levels of blood chemicals in dialysis patients that used GranuFlo have caused heart arrhythmias, heart attacks, strokes and sudden deaths. The FDA reportedly increased scrutiny of GranuFlo. The risk of cardiac arrest was found to 6 to 8 times higher in individuals who use GranuFlo.
GranuFlo Lawsuits
Side effects like those linked to GranuFlo can cause patients and their families considerable expense and loss. Affected patients have begun pursuing GranuFlo lawsuits. Currently, about 300 GranuFlo lawsuits are pending before the courts. In GranuFlo lawsuits, attorneys contend that the higher amount of active ingredient in GranuFlo was not made clear to the institutions that use it, resulting in inadequate controls and a high rate of patient medical problems and deaths. In addition, attorneys contend in GranuFlo lawsuits that Fresenius Medical Care was aware of the possible problems with the product and hid this information from the institutions even after clear evidence was available.
How GranuFlo Lawsuits Can Help
Drug makers have a duty to provide safe products. If there are risks of harm associated with their products, they also must provide adequate warnings. If a drug maker fails to fulfill this duty, it could be held liable in lawsuits for injuries that may result.
People injured by GranuFlo may be eligible to recover money for:
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
The families of those who have died may be eligible to recover money for funeral expenses and the pain that comes with losing a loved one.
For more information, contact Attorney Group. After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
