Kidney Dialysis Heart Problems

Pennsylvania Attorneys Helping Patients Who Have Suffered From Heart Problems During Kidney Dialysis

kidney dialysis machine

Did you suffer serious heart problems after undergoing kidney dialysis, or did someone you love die from cardiac arrest? If so, you may have a case.

Serious Effects Suffered After Kidney Dialysis

Approximately 400,000 Americans suffer from kidney failure (or renal failure), which means their bodies are unable to remove wastes from the blood. These patients must undergo dialysis treatment on a regular basis, where a machine cleanses the blood in place of the non-functioning kidneys. Many hemodialysis treatments involve concentrates that contain acetate, acetic acid, or citrate, which help remove wastes from the blood. More than a third of these patients, at least prior to a recall issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have received GranuFlo or NaturaLyte.

Dialysis patients on GranuFlo and NaturaLyte were reported to be up to 6 times more at risk for cardiac arrest. The FDA issued emergency Class 1 recalls (most serious) on the two products in June 2012. Kidney dialysis patients or their families are currently filing lawsuits for suffering heart-related problems within 24 hours of receiving treatment from 2008-2012. Evidence has shown that the manufacturer was aware of nearly 1,000 reports of cardiac arrest in 2010, may have known the potential risk for alkalosis, and didn’t alert patients until the FDA became aware of an internal memo.

In May 2012, the FDA received a complaint about dosing errors, which have the potential to cause a serious and potentially fatal medical condition known as metabolic alkalosis. Patients suffering from alkalosis have an increased level of alkali (bicarbonate) in their bodies and may experience any of the following:

Heart attack
Cardiopulmonary arrest
Low blood pressure
Stroke
Hypokalemia (low levels of potassium in the blood)
Hypoxemia (low levels of oxygen in the blood)
Hypercapnia (high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood)
Cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart beat)
Death

The potential for these life-threatening medical problems exists for all dialysis products containing acetate, acetic acid, or citrate currently on the market.

Get a Free Legal Evaluation Today – Find Out if You Have a Case

You may not know whether you came into contact with GranuFlo, NaturaLyte, or other potentially dangerous kidney dialysis concentrates, but if you underwent hemodialysis treatment and suffered serious heart problems or other side effects, you may have a case. If a loved one died suddenly after undergoing kidney dialysis, there’s nothing that can erase the loss or hurt you’ve been through. However, you may be entitled to compensation.

Call 1-866-9-4EDGAR (1-866-943-3427), or fill out the form at the top right of this webpage to get started with a free legal evaluation. There are time limits to file a claim, so don’t wait.