If you or a loved one suffered from respiratory failure after using or being treated with a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP or ventilator machine, you may be entitled to compensation from a CPAP respiratory failure 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 respiratory failure after using or being treated with a recalled Philips CPAP, BiPap or ventilator device.
Respiratory failure (or lung failure) is a serious condition that develops when the lungs are unable to adequately take in sufficient oxygen and/or remove enough carbon dioxide, resulting low blood oxygen levels or high blood carbon dioxide levels. In other words, respiratory failure is syndrome in which the respiratory system fails in one or both of its gas exchange functions: oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination.
Millions of individuals are estimated to be diagnosed with respiratory failure each year in the United States.
Philips CPAP Respiratory Failure Lawsuit Cases
Philips CPAP respiratory failure lawsuit cases and settlement claims potentially being investigated include claims of patients who, after using a recalled CPAP, Bi-Level PAP or mechanical ventilator machine, including certain Philips DreamStation, C-Series, Dorma, OmniLab AdvancedPlus, REMstar, SystemOne, A-Series, Garbin Plus, Aeris, LifeVent or Trilogy ventilators machine, suffered from respiratory failure including:
- Respiratory Failure
- Type 1 Respiratory Failure (Hypoxemic)
- Type 2 Respiratory Failure (Hypercapnic)
- Acute Respiratory Failure
- Chronic Respiratory Failure
- Other lung disease lawsuit
On June 14, 2021, Philips issued a recall notice informing the public that certain Philips CPAP, Bi-Level PAP, and mechanical ventilator machines were being recalled due to possible health risks related to the polyester-based polyurethane sound abatement foam in the recalled devices, including respiratory issues, among others.
Types of Respiratory Failure
There are two main types of respiratory failure: Type 1 respiratory failure and Type 2 respiratory failure. Type 1 respiratory failure (hypoxemic respiratory failure) is due to low levels of oxygen in the body, while type 2 respiratory failure (hypercapnic respiratory failure or hypercarbic respiratory failure) is due to high levels of carbon dioxide in the body.
Respiratory failure can also be classified as either acute or chronic. Acute respiratory failure develops quickly and suddenly over minutes or hours, usually without much warning), while chronic respiratory failure develops slowly over time.
Respiratory Failure Signs & Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of respiratory failure depend on whether the respiratory failure is due to low oxygen levels in the blood (i.e., hypoxemia) or excessive carbon dioxide in the blood (i.e. hypercapnic).
Signs and symptoms of low oxygen levels can potentially include:
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Feeling like you cannot get enough air (air hunger)
- Bluish color on your fingers, toes, and lips (Cyanosis)
- Coughing or wheezing
- Severe headache
- Pulmonary hypertension
- High blood pressure in the lungs
- Drowsiness
- Loss of consciousness
- Irritability
Signs and symptoms of excessive carbon dioxide can potentially include:
- Rapid breathing
- Flushed skin
- Muscle twitching
- Hand tremors (asterixis)
- Elevated blood pressure
- Headache
- Lethargy
- Confusion
- Change of behaviour
- Blurred vision
- Optic disc swelling (papilloedema)
- Warm extremities
Respiratory Failure Complications
Respiratory failure can lead to serious complications including arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), kidney failure, lung damage, blood clot on the lung (pulmonary embolism), heart failure or heart attack, seizure, coma, brain damage, scarring of the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis) and/or death, among other things.
Procedures and tests used to diagnose respiratory failure can include physical exam, bronchoscopy (scope to check lungs), pulse oximetry (to measure oxygen levels), arterial blood gas test (to measure levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood), spirometry test (to measure the quantity and speed of air exhaled to estimate how much bronchial tubes are inflamed and/or narrowed), lung function test, peak flow meter (to measure how hard exhales are), chest computed tomography (CT) scan and/or chest x-ray, among others.
Respiratory Failure Treatment
Treatments for respiratory failure often depend on the underlying cause of the condition and can include medication (such as bronchodilators to open airways or treat asthma, antibiotics to treat lung infections such as pneumonia, corticosteroids to shrink swollen airways and treat inflammation, and diuretics for pulmonary edema), oxygen therapy (through a mask or nasal cannula or thin tube that connects to a portable oxygen tank), ventilator or breathing machine (such as noninvasive positive pressure ventilation NPPV or a mechanical ventilator), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a tracheostomy (surgical incision in the windpipe to relieve an obstruction to breathing) and/or in cases involving severe lung disease lung transplant surgery.
If you or someone you love used or were treated with a C-PAP, Bi-PAP or ventilator machine and suffered from respiratory failure, you may be entitled to compensation from a CPAP respiratory failure 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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