Granuflo is a common drug used by dialysis centers across the country. Given to those who suffer from acute or chronic kidney failure, Granuflo is meant to facilitate dialysis, a process in which water and excess waste are removed from the blood. It is a dry-acid product and is manufactured by German healthcare company Fresenius.
Recently, Granuflo has received mass attention for being potentially dangerous, leading to an FDA recall of the drug initiated in March 2012. Since then, Fresenius-owned dialysis centers have been under investigation, and patients have initiated hundreds of lawsuits to recover damages.
Ultimately, the problem with Granuflo was not with what it contained or how it worked, but instead with how it was being used and in what concentration. According to a June 2012 article in the New York Times, Granuflo “contains an ingredient that the body converts to bicarbonate, and it contains more of this ingredient than in rival products.” Furthermore, many medical practitioners did not account for this when deciding how much bicarbonate to prescribe, which led to cases of metabolic alkalosis. This oversight was costly — 941 patients suffered cardiopulmonary arrest inside of Fresenius dialysis clinics in 2010 alone, according to a Fresenius memo.
Additionally, metabolic alkalosis is associated with other conditions, including:
These conditions can be fatal if left untreated. Those who have been injured after being administered Granuflo should consult an attorney immediately.
Since the injuries associated with Granuflo have come to light, lawsuits have targeted Fresenius for its alleged failure to warn about the risks associated with Granuflo. The Fresenius memo was sent to the doctors practicing in the company’s dialysis centers, indicating that improper use of Fresenius products was raising the risk of patient death due to cardiopulmonary arrest.
So in addition to the drug manufacturer, other parties may hold some liability for a patient’s injuries, depending on the case details. Some of the parties that may be liable in addition to the manufacturer may include:
Talk to your attorney about the parties that may be liable for your particular case because liability largely depends on the circumstances (e.g., whether a doctor improperly created the drug mixture, whether a doctor administered the drug incorrectly, etc.).
If you have been injured after taking Granuflo, speak with a Granuflo lawyer at the Law Offices of Julie Johnson, PLLC immediately. We can help you recover compensation for damages incurred. Please contact us today at 214-290-8001.