Granuflo Cardiac Arrest and Deaths

Litigation is currently being filed against the German company Fresenius Medical Care, manufacturer of Granuflo, because it is believed by many they did not properly notify patients and professionals of the risks of using their product, whose side effects include cardiac arrest and death. Call Gallagher Law Firm at (888) 222-7052 or contact us online if you have been affected by Granuflo and would like to learn more about your legal options.

Granuflo and Cardiac Arrest

An internal Fresenius memo, dated Nov. 4, 2011 stated that 941 patients had suffered cardiac arrest inside Fresenius clinics in 2010. By comparing these patients with others, the company’s medical staff concluded that patients with high levels of bicarbonate in their blood had about six times the risk of cardiac arrest as those with lower levels.

For a person with improperly functioning kidneys, dialysis performs the function of the kidneys by removing toxic waste from the blood. Part of this process involves the use an alkaline substance called bicarbonate to neutralize the building up of acid in the blood. While GranuFlo performs various functions, it also contains a substance that the patient’s body converts to bicarbonate. Granuflo contains a higher amount of this substance than alternative products.

Multiple doctors were apparently not accounting for GranuFlo’s increased bicarbonate contribution when determining how much bicarbonate to prescribe separately to patients. The result of this can effectively be an overdose of bicarbonate, which research has found may lead to heart problems.

Metabolic alkalosis is a side effect of GranuFlo that elevates a patient’s pH balance beyond normal. This can lead to fatal results without proper medical attention, as the most severe metabolic alkalosis can cause stroke or cardiac arrest (heart attack), either which can cause death.

Lawsuits

The Gallagher Law Firm currently has suits filed involving Granuflo, the Dry Acid Concentrate used to treat people suffering from chronic kidney disease and acute renal failure, which has been linked to cardiac arrest and subsequent death in some patients.

Call The Gallagher Law Firm at (888) 222-7052 if you feel you have suffered injury or a death in the family because of Fresenius  Medical Care’s misinformation. You may also contact us online where we will give you a free consultation.