If you or a loved one suffered from pulmonary fibrosis after using or being treated with a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP or ventilator machine, you may be entitled to compensation from a CPAP pulmonary fibrosis lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of medical device injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating potential lawsuit cases and settlement claims of individuals who claim to have suffered from pulmonary fibrosis after using or being treated with a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPap or ventilator machine.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease in which the lungs become scarred. Over time, pulmonary fibrosis can damage a normal lung as scar tissue blocks the movement of oxygen from inside alveoli in the lungs into the bloodstream, making it hard for oxygen to get into the blood.
It is estimated that more than 200,000 people in the United States suffer from pulmonary fibrosis, with almost 50,000 new pulmonary fibrosis cases diagnosed each year. Nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to die from the disease each year.
Philips CPAP Pulmonary Fibrosis Lawsuit Cases
Philips CPAP pulmonary fibrosis lawsuit cases and settlement claims potentially being investigated include claims of patients who, after using a recalled CPAP, BiPAP or mechanical ventilator machine, including certain Philips DreamStation, C-Series, Dorma, OmniLab AdvancedPlus, REMstar, System One, A-Series, Garbin Plus, Aeris, LifeVent or Trilogy ventilators machines, suffered from fibrosis of the lungs, including:
- Pulmonary fibrosis (PF)
- Environmental pulmonary fibrosis
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
- Cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis
- Idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis, chronic form
- Usual interstitial pneumonia
- Interstitial lung disease (ILD)
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP)
- Diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD)
- Restrictive lung disease
- Scarring of the lungs
Pulmonary fibrosis is a part of larger group of more than 200 interstitial lung diseases characterized by scarring and/or inflammation in the interstitium (the tissue and space around the alveoli or air sacs) of the lungs. Interstitial lung diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis, can be caused by, among other things, environmental exposures such as breathing in harmful substances, such as organic particles or antigens.
On June 14, 2021, Philips Respironics issued a recall notification informing the public that certain Philips CPAP, BiPAP, and mechanical ventilator machines were being recalled due to possible health risks relating to potential particulate exposure of degraded polyester-based polyurethane sound abatement foam in the recalled devices, including respiratory issues, among others.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Signs & Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis can potentially include:
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Fast, shallow breaths
- Dry, hacking cough
- Unintended weight loss
- Tiredness and weakness
- Aching in joints
- Aching in muscles
- Other body aches
- Chest pain
- Chest discomfort
- Decreased ability to exercise
- Stiff lungs
- Bleeding in lungs
- Leg swelling
- Clubbing or widening/rounding of nails/tips of fingers/toes
- Wheezing
- Chills
- Low oxygen levels in the blood
- Sounds of crackles or rales (like Velcro being pulled apart)
- Grey or white lung tissue on CT scan
Procedures and tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis can include physical exam, bronchoscopy, pulse oximetry and arterial blood gas tests, lung function test, peak flow tests, spirometry (to measure the speed and volume air a patient can blow out, lung volume measurement (to estimate the total lung capacity or TLC of a patient), diffusing capacity or DLCO (to measure how easy it is for gases such as oxygen to move through lungs into bloodstream), walking tests, lung tissue biopsy, bronchoalveolar lavage, a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan and/or chest x-ray, among others.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Complications
Pulmonary fibrosis can lead to serious complications including pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in lungs), heart failure, stroke, blood clots in lungs (pulmonary embolism), respiratory failure, lung infections, pneumothorax, and lung cancer, and/or death, among other things.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Treatment
Scarring from pulmonary fibrosis is permanent (i.e., there is no cure). Treatments to slow the progression of pulmonary fibrosis often depend on the underlying cause of the condition and can include medication, oxygen therapy, and non-medical treatments (i.e., pulmonary rehab such as exercise, relaxation, nutrition, etc.).
Some pulmonary fibrosis patients may need a lung transplantation (replacement of one or both lungs with a new lung(s) from a donor). Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the leading indications for lung transplants.
If you or someone you love used or were treated with a C-PAP, Bi-PAP or ventilator machine and suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, you may be entitled to compensation from a CPAP pulmonary fibrosis lawsuit case or settlement claim. Contact a medical device injury lawyer to request a free case review.
*If you or a loved one are experiencing health issues, side effects or complications from a medical device or healthcare product, we urge you to promptly consult with your doctor or physician for an evaluation.
**The listing of a company (e.g., Koninklijke Philips N.V. or Royal Philips, Philips North America LLC, or Philips RS North America LLC) or product is not meant to state or imply that the company acted illegally or improperly or that the product is unsafe or defective; rather only that an investigation may be, is or was being conducted to determine whether legal rights have been violated.
***The use of any trademarks, tradenames or service marks is solely for product identification and/or informational purposes.
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