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GranuFlo Recall, Dialysis Medication Lawsuits, Heart Attack From Dialysis Medication Lawyers

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GranuFlo is used in Dialysis treatment. it has been recalled due to sudden heart attacks and deaths. Heart attack from dialysis medication lawyers are filing lawsuits for deaths from dialysis medications.

Definitions and Kindney Disease Overview

Chronic kidney disease (CKD): any condition that causes reduced kidney function over a period of time. CKD is present when a patient’s glomerular filtration rate remains below 60 milliliters per minute for more than 3 months or when a patient’s urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio is over 30 milligrams (mg) of albumin for each gram (g) of creatinine (30 mg/g).

End-stage renal disease (ESRD): total and permanent kidney failure. When the kidneys fail, the body retains fl uid. Harmful wastes build up. A person with ESRD needs treatment to replace the work of the failed kidneys.

Acute kidney injury (AKI): sudden, temporary, and sometimes fatal loss of kidney function

incidence: the number of new cases of a disease in a given time period

prevalence: the number of existing cases of a disease at a given point in time


Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis and GranuFlo. GranuFlo is a Threat to Seniors

  • The incidence of CKD is increasing most rapidly in people ages 65 and older.
  • The incidence of recognized CKD in people ages 65 and older more than doubled between 2000 and 2008.
  • The incidence of recognized CKD among 20- to 64-year-olds is less than 0.5 percent.

CKD Prevalence , GranuFlo Threat in 60 and Over Population

The prevalence of CKD is growing most rapidly in people ages 60 and older.
Between the 1988–1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study and the 2003–2006 NHANES study, the prevalence of CKD in people ages 60 and older jumped from 18.8 to 24.5 percent.
During that same period, the prevalence of CKD in people between the ages of 20 and 39 stayed consistently below 0.5 percent.

Dialysis Statistics By State

  • Alabama: 7,334
  • Alaska: 350
  • Arizona: 6,747
  • Arkansas:2,905
  • California: 45,047
  • Colorado: 3,360
  • Connecticut: 3,497
  • DC:1,809
  • Delaware: 1,170
  • Florida: 20,365
  • Georgia: 14,086
  • Hawaii: 2,449
  • Idaho: 916
  • I llinois: 15,268
  • Indiana: 6,539
  • Iowa: 2,296
  • Kansas: 2,384
  • Kentucky: 4,262
  • Louisiana: 7,287
  • Maine: 975
  • Maryland: 7,823
  • Massachusetts: 5,123
  • Michigan:12,293
  • Minnesota: 3,697
  • Mississippi:5,456
  • Missouri:6,467
  • Montana: 627
  • Nebraska:1,473
  • Nevada: 2,294
  • New Hampshire: 690
  • New Jersey: 10,580
  • New Mexico: 2,451
  • New York: 23,612
  • North Carolina: 12,895
  • North Dakota: 501
  • Ohio: 13,761
  • Oklahoma:3,793
  • Oregon: 2,703
  • Pennsylvania: 14,201
  • Puerto Rico:4,032
  • Rhode Island: 838
  • South Carolina: 7,199
  • South Dakota: 689
  • Tennessee: 7,482
  • Texas: 32,383
  • Utah: 1,303
  • Vermont: 380
  • Virginia: 9,332
  • Washington: 5,026
  • West Virginia: 1,794
  • Wisconsin: 4,899
  • Wyoming:248


The high incidence of Dialysis treatment in Florida is due to the numbers of aging population. Our Florida Seniors are at risk for sudden heart attack form the dialysis medication GranuFlo and Naturalyte.

Fresenius labs has used GranuFlo and Naturalyte in Dialysis Treatments. Fresnius knew of the dangers and still used the medication. As a result many of our seniors have suffered cardiac arrest and heart problems

Fresenius Claima To Be Patient-Centered Care for Chronic Kidney Disease

Fresenius Medical Care North America is a major provider of kidney dialysis services and renal care products. We provide products, dialysis care services, education and support for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), including treatment options for later stage CKD.

Our dialysis care services include hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, education tools and transplant support services, in-center, at home, or in a hospital, to fit our patients needs. We manufacture and distribute a variety of dialysis products and equipment, including dialysis machines, dialyzers and other dialysis-related supplies.

FDA Issues Class 1 Recall of GranuFlo

In late March of 2012, the FDA became aware of the apparent link between GranuFlo and cardiac arrest, according to the New York Times. In response to information about this threat to dialysis patients, which GranuFlo producer Fresenius had not made public, the FDA issued a Safety Communication warning about the dangers of alkali dosing errors for products like GranuFlo and NaturaLyte in hemodialysis patients.

In June, the FDA then issued a Class 1 recall of GranuFlo. This is the most serious class of recall, issued when the FDA deems there to be "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." The FDA described the reason for the recall thus:

The manufacturer is cautioning clinicians to be aware of the concentration of acetate or sodium diacetate (acetic acid plus acetate) contained in Fresenius Naturalyte Liquid and Granuflo Dry Acid Concentrate. Inappropriate prescription of these products can lead to a high serum bicarbonate level in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This may contribute to metabolic alkalosis, which is a significant risk factor associated with low blood pressure, hypokalemia, hypoxemia, hypercapnia and cardiac arrhythmia, which, if not appropriately treated, may culminate in cardiopulmonary arrest. This product may cause serious adverse health consequences, including death.

GranuFlo Lawsuits Mounting Up. Protect Our Seniors, File Your GranuFlo Lawsuit Today

GranuFlo and NaturaLyte lawsuits are being filed in courts around the country, after hundreds of patients suffered cardiac arrest, sudden cardiac death. Pur seniors are in danger. Serious heart problems have been reported following the use of the drugs during dialysis treatments. While Fresenius Medical, the manufacturer of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, learned of the risks associated with the dialysis drugs in 2011, a GranuFlo and NaturaLyte recall was not announced until months later. GranuFlo and NaturaLyte lawsuits are now being filed on behalf of our seniors who are victims of serious heart side effects within 48 hours of a dialysis treatment with GranuFlo and Naturalyte. Problems include: sudden cardiac death, cardiopulmonary arrest, heart attack and the development of heart problems.

File Your GranuFlo Lawsuit and Protect Your Loved Ones. Get Justice form Manufacturers who value profits over harm to people. If you, a loved one or someone you are a caregiver for has been injured by a dialysis medication call the GranuFlo Lawyer Helpline of Free Legal Shiels today.


Mesothelioma Lawsuits, Mesothelioma Lawyers, Asbestos, Lung Cancer

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Mesothelioma is a fatal lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Certain work environments are more prone to causing mesothelioma.

  • Shipyard Workers
  • Construction Workers
  • Power Plant Workers
  • Chemical Plant Workers
  • Industrial Workers
  • Insulators
  • Boiler Workers
  • Auto Mechanics

Types of mesothelioma

  • Pleural mesotheliomas start in the chest.
  • Peritoneal mesotheliomas begin in the abdomen.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

  • Shortness of breath and
  • A heavy feeling in the chest area.
  • Pain under the rib cage.
  • Pain or swelling in the abdomen.
  • Lumps in the abdomen.
  • Weight loss for no known reason.

Mesothelioma Comes from Inhaling Asbestos For Long Periods Of Time

When a person breathes in the small asbestos fibers, they remain in the lungs and cause scar tissue to form on the the tiny air sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. The amount of oxygen that is available to the body is reduced through asbestos exposure and worsened through repeated inhalations for long periods of time.

Notable asbestos verdicts in the United States include:
Mississippi

In May 2011, the current largest plaintiff s asbestos verdict was awarded to a former oil refinery worker. Union Carbine and Chevron Phillips Chemical were instructed to pay the man $322 million.
San Francisco, California

Alfred Todak, a former Navy electrician, was awarded $22.7 million, and his was wife was awarded $11 for loss of consortium.
Madison County, Illinois

Madison County s asbestos verdicts have typically favored the plaintiff, including the 2000 Hutchinson v. Shell Oil Company case in which a man was awarded a total of $34.1 million.

Incidence of Mesothelioma

State/Region Incidence per 100,000
New Jersey 1.52
Seattle-Puget Sound 1.44
Louisiana 1.37
Connecticut 1.08
Greater California 1.06
Utah 1.02
New Mexico 0.99
Detroit 0.89
Kentucky 0.85
Iowa 0.80
Georgia 0.70

The six states with the highest mesothelioma death rates include: Maine, Wyoming, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington

Mesothelioma Lawyers

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos related cancer call our mesothelioma helpline today. We will connect you with an experienced mesothelioma, mass tort lawyer. Mesothelioma lawsuits are mass torts and must be handled by an experienced mass tort lawyer.

Januvia, Byetta Risks of Pancreatic Cancer, Lawyers Looking At Lawsuits

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New Information on Byetta and Januvia is gaining interest by lawyers for Pancreatic and Thyroid Cancer. Type II Diabetics are potential victims of cancer from these Diabetic drugs.

Popular diabetes drugs may raise pancreatic cancer risk, study suggests
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay
Updated 9/23/2011 6:15 PM

People with type 2 diabetes taking the drugs Januvia or Byetta might have an increased risk of developing pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, a preliminary study suggests.
Sponsored Links

The study also found that Byetta (exenatide) may raise the risk of thyroid cancer.

Although the links aren t conclusive, they merit further investigation, the researchers noted.

"We have raised concern that there may be a link, but we haven t confirmed it," said lead researcher Dr. Peter Butler, director of the Larry L. Hillblom Islet Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. "We need to do more work to figure out whether this is real or not."

Both drugs help control blood sugar levels by encouraging production of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1).

Januvia (sitagliptin) and Byetta, an injectable drug, are a new way of treating type 2 diabetes, and they potentially have advantages over older medications, Butler said. But, because these drugs are new, they re "the ones we know least about," he said. "When new drugs come out, the long-term side effects of these drugs are not well understood."

For the study, recently published in the journal Gastroenterology, Butler s team used 2004-2009 information in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration s database on adverse events, which are reported by doctors whose patients use these drugs.

When compared to other treatments, the researchers found a sixfold increase of reported cases of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) linked to patients taking Januvia or Byetta; a 2.9-fold increase in reported cases of pancreatic cancer among those taking Byetta and a 2.7-fold increase of reported pancreatic cancers among Januvia users.

In addition, they also noted an increase in reported cases of thyroid cancer with Byetta.

This latest study builds on earlier research, published in a 2009 issue of Diabetes, which found an increase in pancreatitis in rats whose GLP-1 levels were raised, the researchers said.

Butler is quick to point out that these increases in pancreatic cancer risk, while statistically significant, are not specifically related to patients, but rather to an increase in doctors reporting these cases to the FDA.

"It is important to avoid alarmism and have people stop medicines that they may be benefitting from when the risk is not yet defined," he stressed.

"If the drug and you are working well together, I wouldn t say there is any reason to stop the drug, based on the evidence we have right now," he said. "But if you have any concern you should talk to your doctor about it."

Being overweight is an important risk for both pancreatic cancer and type 2 diabetes, Butler noted. So the first advice to overweight patients with type 2 diabetes is to lose weight. "By doing that, you reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer," he said.

In addition, the first medication used to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetics is metformin, which by itself may reduce the risk for pancreatic cancer, Butler said. Metformin is an older drug with a well-known safety profile, he noted.

Dr. Mary Ann Banerji, director of the Diabetes Treatment Center at SUNY Health Science Center Brooklyn in New York City, said that "this is not perfect data."

However, Banerji does not prescribe these drugs for patients who have had a history of pancreatitis or a family history of thyroid cancer. There are alternatives such as metformin and insulin, as well as Avandia and Actos, she said, but studies have turned up an increased risk for heart attack and heart failure in the last two drugs. The FDA has removed Avandia from pharmacy shelves, and the agency issued a warning last summer that there is a possible increased risk of bladder cancer in patients who take Actos for more than a year.

The concerns about Januvia and Byetta "should not be blown out of proportion," Banerji said. "You prescribe them on an individual basis, because, in the end, all of medicine is individual," she said. "We should use these drugs judiciously along with metformin."

Industry representatives, insisting that no studies involving these drugs have found an increased risk of pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer, stand by their products. The database used for the study contains information on doctor-reported cases and does not reflect cause-and-effect, they said.

Dr. Barry Goldstein, vice president and therapeutic area head for diabetes and endocrinology at Merck Research Laboratories, which makes Januvia, said that "there has been no association shown between Januvia and pancreatitis."

"We have full confidence in Januvia, which is used by millions of patients around the world," he said.

Anne Erickson, a spokeswoman for Amylin Pharmaceuticals, makers of Byetta, said that "the conclusions of the study are in contrast to other nonclinical, clinical and adequately conducted post-marketing epidemiological studies."

Epidemiological studies have not established a significantly increased risk of pancreatitis associated with Byetta, she said. "To date, the available data do not demonstrate that exenatide increases the overall risk of cancer in humans."

Another expert, Dr. Ronald Goldberg, professor of medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said the findings merit consideration. "I don t think the study is definitive, but it raises a flag and is clearly something we need to pay attention to going forward."

There is "more benefit than risk with these drugs, based on our current knowledge," he

Vaginal Mesh Update, Vaginal Mesh Lawyers

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Vaginal mesh lawsuits have been consolidated in three major jurisdictions: West Virginia, New Jersey and Georgia. There are a total of 6 MDL s that are currently active. No matter where your case is filed it will most likely end up in one of these under the auspices of a lead cousel that will proceed on your behalf. These are not class actions but, consolidations. This is very different as it is still on an individual settlemement basis. Just to give you a point of reference the first Yaz settlements have settled for $250,000 for the first grouo of victims and the DePuy for $600,000 for six victims.

Problems with vaginal mesh systems marketed by a number of different medical device manufacturers have caused thousands of women throughout the United States to suffer severe injuries. The major manufactures involved in the litgations are Johnson and Johnson, Bard, Boston Scientific, and American Medical. Johnson and Johnson has just recently pulled 4 of the Gynecare mesh off the market and has published a new label change for one still on the market.

The vaginal mesh lawsuit lawyers are filing mesh lawsuits for women who have received any type of surgical mesh or bladder sling to repair pelvic organ prolapse, which could include:

Bard Avaulta Support System
AMS Elevate Prolapse Repair System
AMS Apogee Vault Suspension System
AMS Perigee System
AMS Monarc Sling System
AMS Sparc Sling System
Ethicon Gynecare Gynemesh
Ethicon Gynecare Prolene Soft Mesh
Ethicon Gynecare Prolift Pelvic Floor Repair System
Ethicon Gynecare TVT Transvaginal Sling
Boston Scientific Pinnacle Pelvic Floor Repair Kit
Boston Scientific Uphold Vaginal Support System
UGYTEX Dual Knit Mesh
Coviden IVS Tunneler Sling

Due to the risk of vaginal mesh complications, the FDA warned in July 2011 that doctors should recognize that in most cases, pelvic organ prolapse can be treated successfully without a bladder sling or pelvic mesh. Thousands of women had a bladder sling or vaginal mesh implanted in recent years, and compensation may be available for serious injuries caused by the defective and dangerous design of the pelvic support systems.

Mesh lawsuits should be filed quickly as the staute of limitations is running close in many states and some are past the filing date already.

Vaginal mesh Is a Global Pandemic, Vaginal Mesh lawyer

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"Transvaginal Mesh Caused Five Years of Hell for Me, My Husband, My Kids"
February 8, 2012, 10:30:00AM. By Jane Mundy Email to a friendEmail

Sydney, NS: Leslie was 40 years old in 2007 when she had transvaginal mesh—a TVT sling—implanted. Since that time, she has had at least six MRIs and about a dozen CAT Scans. She has been in and out of the hospital on numerous occasions—including the renal unit for three months—and she couldn t have sex with her husband until last October. "Both my husband and I want to warn women about these transvaginal mesh devices," she says. "I don t think many people realize the devastation this mesh can create."

"Transvaginal Mesh Caused Five Years of Hell for Me, My Husband, My Kids"Neither Leslie (not her real name) nor her doctor had any idea of the complications associated with TVT slings and transvaginal mesh devices. It wasn t until a year after Leslie s initial surgery when the FDA issued a safety alert, even though manufacturers like American Medical Systems and Bard, the maker of Avaulta, had received more than 1,000 complaints since 2005. Leslie knew her gynecologist was using the TVT but she knew nothing about it, other than that it would "stabilize and hold her bladder," according to her doctor.

Within just a few weeks of surgery, Leslie had severe pain in her groin and a nasty urinary tract infection. Then she got lower back pain. Then it got a whole lot worse.

"My blood pressure soared from 120/90 to 210/160 in no time at all, for no apparent reason," says Leslie. "Then I got hyper-pigmentation (not a rash) all over my face, neck and arms. A dermatologist told me it was systemic: something inside me was causing it but he had no idea what it could be. Then my face and ears would flush to beet red and my blood pressure would get so high I had respiratory problems. I couldn t breathe and my heart rate would go as high as 150 bpm when I was sitting down.

"I went to ER so many times and they chalked it up to the urinary tract infection. Next up, I got edema and within three years I gained about 50 pounds (I am not a big eater and I don t eat junk food—in fact I was very athletic prior to the TVT surgery). My abdomen became so swollen it looked like I was pregnant. My voice became hoarse and then I got esophagus problems; I could never understand where this was coming from. Then I was sent to an ear, nose and throat doctor. Next came blurred vision and I lost my peripheral vision. An optometrist determined it was so bad I couldn t drive anymore. I lost my hearing in my left ear…

"My husband and I were beside ourselves."

So what does this all have to do with Leslie s transvaginal mesh surgery? It all links to her immune system. Unfortunately, it took a few years to figure that out. Neither Leslie nor the litany of specialists she saw clued in that the mesh erosion, which almost killed her, was the cause of so much pain, not to mention frustration and financial ruin.

By December, Leslie s immune system was so poor that her family physician ordered a barium enema. The technician found a large polyp in her colon and she had a colonoscopy right away. They found four massive polyps—but what caused them? Leslie was told that large polyps usually turn into cancer, but they were benign—and that was the only good news she had, right up until the end of 2011.

"I got so sick that and I couldn t walk up or down my stairs," says Leslie. "I couldn t do the laundry, couldn t do the dishes. I knew I was in serious trouble when I got half way up the stairs and my chest was so tight I couldn t breathe. I tried yelling to my 10-year-old to help me to bed. My husband raced home and I felt a bit better. The next morning I had to go for another barium swallow. This time the technician sent me to ER after he took my blood pressure: it was 240/150, but my respiratory rate was low. My kidneys were not working and no one could understand what was going on.

Vaginal Mesh lawyers are filing lawsuits for Vaginal mesh injury. This appears to be a global issue going all the way to sidney Australia.

The vaginal mesh lawsuits in the U.S.A are starting and you must get a vaginal mesh lawyer to protect your legal rights immediately.

"An ambulance raced me to the renal unit of Sydney Hospital, where I stayed for three months. Everything was going wrong. At one time my cortisol levels were so high everyone thought I was going to die.

"My husband and my kids were losing their minds.

"I had every specialist you could imagine looking at me. They agreed it was systemic and a few doctors knew it was something auto-immune but no one figured it out."

Leslie was booked for surgery to get cysts removed from her stomach but the surgeon told her she was too sick for surgery and advised that she go home, try to get better and come back in a few months. But when Leslie got home, she almost gave up.

"Just before I decided to take all the pills on my bedside table, my friend, a nurse, came over and she, along with her neurologist friend, saved my life," explains Leslie, on the verge of tears. "I told her everything and she said, It has to do with the TVT surgery, and insisted that I call a urogynecologist, who specializes in the care of women with pelvic floor dysfunction.

"By this time we were financially devastated. My husband wasn t working because he was taking care of me, but we had no choice.

"The urogynecologist did a pelvic exam and right away felt massive erosion. She asked if I had a mesh implanted. Then she did a cystoscopy and determined that the TVT mesh was cutting off the right ureter. Later, she found that the mesh was also cutting off the urethra.

She said, You need surgery, you cannot have a foreign object in an organ. She said the infection was so bad, It is going through your entire system, you need to get it removed now. That was December 2010.

"She found the mesh embedded in the urethra but she couldn t remove it. This is way above my skill level, I cannot do it, she told me. But I had some relief from this surgery and I was referred to another specialist, a reconstructive urologist.

"I had yet another surgery in October 2011. He said the mesh was In every place it shouldn t be, eroded in my colon, bladder, pelvic floor. He said it was one of the biggest surgeries he had ever done.

"Now I feel infection-free for the first time in five years, and I don t have to take anymore antibiotics. But I m not out of the woods yet.

"The reconstructive urologist noticed something on my urethra and he believes it is a piece of mesh. So I have to go back in three weeks. My bladder still isn t right; it takes a long time to empty and I can t hold my urine, I have no muscle left in my bladder. So I have to undergo yet another surgery.

"I started to feel better and had enough energy to research transvaginal mesh online. I looked for FDA warnings and found so many women going through these problems. And I am furious.

"My husband and I also found the TVM attorney online. Right now our fight is to get me better and my attorney can go after the TVT and TVM manufacturer. My attorney has all my medical records including the lot number of the TVT sling.

"My kids and husband have lost so much because of this. Everyone needs to know that these companies are using us as guinea pigs. When I found out about the 501(k), how these medical device makers can put products on the market without clinical trials, I cried my heart out. How could the FDA allow this?

"My attorney said it is OK for me to talk about this. I just want people to know the hell I have gone through; I want this taken off the market, forever."