Baxter Dialysis Filter
Kidneys perform the important function in the body of removing excess fluid, minerals, and wastes, keeping your body clean. They also make hormones that help keep bones and blood healthy. When people's kidneys fail, which is called renal failure, harmful wastes that ordinarily would be flushed out instead build up. This may cause a rise in blood pressure, limited production of red blood cells, and the retention of excess fluid.
To treat people with advanced and permanent kidney failure, hemodialysis is used. Hemodialysis is the most common treatment of renal failure. In this procedure, certain elements are removed from a person's blood and body. These elements are the waste materials that may include urea, potassium and excess water. This procedure is complicated and requires the coordination of a number of professionals, including a nephrologist, dialysis nurses, dialysis technicians, dietitians, and social workers. Hemodialysis is typically administered three to five times a week by professionals under the supervision of a doctor and nurses, and is usually done in a specialized clinic or a room in a hospital.
Baxter International Inc. is a manufacturer of dialysis equipment, including dialysis solutions, machines, and filters. In November of 2001, the Baxter corporation announced a voluntary recall of their dialysis filter, which had been connected to more than 50 fatalities among hemodialysis patients in Spain, Croatia, Columbia, Taiwan, and in the United States, specifically Texas and Nebraska. The dialysis filters, which are made by Baxter International, are used to remove toxins from the blood of patients with kidney failure.
According to the maker of the dialysis filter, a fluid that was utilized in the process of manufacturing the filters did not evaporate completely during the manufacturing process, and remained in them when they were packed and shipped. The fluid is a solution produced chemically to test for leaks in the filter. The solution, they stated, turns into gas bubbles upon entering patients' blood streams, which caused blockages and interfered with the flow of blood through the lungs and with the delivery of oxygen throughout the body. The deaths of patients who had received dialysis from machines using these filters were linked to pulmonary embolisms (a blockage of an artery in the lung), which was caused by blood flow blockages. The Baxter dialysis filters have been recalled from the market.
It is possible that you or a loved one is among the people currently using these Baxter dialysis filters. If this is so, contact a defective medical device lawyer, so you can be provided with answers to your questions. If you have sustained an injury due to these defective filters, a lawyer could also help you in filing a personal injury claim against Baxter International. This claim may entitle you to receive compensation, which will not only cover the medical expenses incurred during the diagnosis and treatment of your injuries, but also the pain and suffering that you endured as a result. You may also be entitled to seek compensation if you are the surviving spouse of a person who died after using the Baxter dialysis filter through filing a wrongful death claim.
If you or someone you know was affected by the Baxter dialysis filter, it is recommended that you seek legal assistance to pursue compensation and justice.
