Ashcraft & Gerel LLP The Victims' Rights Law Firm Washington, D.C. Maryland (Baltimore Landover Rockville) Virginia

Baxter Heparin Recall - Contaminated Blood Thinner Linked To Death And Severe Allergic Type Reactions

Baxter Heparin Recall - Contaminated Blood Thinner Linked To 
Death And Severe Allergic Type Reactions

[Introduction: If you or a loved one has experienced a reaction to the administration of a dosage of heparin, you may have a lawsuit that should be pursued. Although our heparin lawyers are located in Maryland (MD), Virginia (VA) and Washington, D.C. (DC), our drug litigation is national in scope, and our heparin lawyers are prepared to file lawsuits and litigate heparin cases around the country. Therefore, regardless of what state you're from, please fill out our inquiry form on this web site or email us so that Ashcraft & Gerel, LLP can have a heparin lawyer contact you to discuss your claim and the potential of a lawsuit.] 

The crisis over heparin publicly surfaced on January 25, 2008 when Baxter Healthcare Corporation announced a recall of nine lots of heparin sodium injection multi-dose vials. The recall came after Baxter observed a spike in the number of adverse events tied to heparin sodium injections to more than 350 such reports during the month of January, 2008. By comparison, Baxter received reports of only 100 adverse reactions for the entire year of 2007. The recall has since been extended to include other lots and single-dose vials, and Baxter has stopped producing the product.

Heparin sodium is an anticoagulant (blood thinner) that is commonly administered intravenously. It is used in patients undergoing kidney dialysis, certain types of cardiac surgery, and treatment or prevention of other serious medical conditions, such as deep venous (vein) thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli.

Reported adverse reactions to heparin have included:

• burning sensation
• chest pain or palpitations
• diarrhea
• dizziness or fainting
• shortness of breath
• oral swelling
• rapid heartbeat
• nausea or vomiting

• hypotension (low blood pressure), including profound and refractory (unresponsive to treatment) hypotension

Some of these reactions resemble that produced by an allergy. Some are so severe as to be life threatening, in particular profound and refractory hypotension. The majority of the adverse reactions have occurred at hemodialysis centers, in hospitals where heparin was used during cardiac surgery, and in patients undergoing photopheresis. Most of the allergic like reactions developed within minutes of heparin initiation, although the possibility of a delayed response has not been excluded.

As a result of its investigation of the cause of the apparent contamination, the FDA has reported findings indicating that the heparin marketed by Baxter was in fact contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate, a chemical compound that is similar to heparin but less expensive to produce. FDA scientists have tested samples of the product and determined that they contained 5% to 20% of the oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. How the contaminant found its way into the heparin is not known, but the FDA has traced the compound to a manufacturing plant in China. The agency has launched a far-ranging investigation of the situation in the United States and abroad.

If you or a loved one has experienced any of the above mentioned adverse allergic reaction type symptoms after having a dosage of heparin administered, you should speak to an experienced pharmaceutical and medical product liability attorney to see if you have a case and to discuss the possibility of bringing a lawsuit to recover for your damages and injuries. The attorney will be able to ascertain if you have a claim for which a lawsuit can be pursued and whether the case and lawsuit can be brought to a successful settlement, verdict, award or other recovery. The experienced lawyer will also be able to advise you on any deadlines for bringing your legal claim for damages. Please contact the law firm of Ashcraft and Gerel, LLP to discuss your lawsuit with an experienced drug and medical product liability lawyer in our Drug and Medical Product Liability Litigation Department. 

The lawyers at Ashcraft and Gerel, LLP have been leaders in pursuing medical product liability lawsuits involving unsafe drugs, implants, and infusions for over 50 years. Our attorneys have successfully brought about verdicts, settlements, awards or other recoveries in lawsuits on behalf of clients who have been injured by Zyprexa, Fen-Phen, Rezulin, Propulsid, Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), Baycol, breast implants and AIDS tainted blood. Although some of these claims and lawsuits resulted in class action settlements, class actions are not the only way these cases are handled. The courts have devised methods to deal with mass torts so that each lawsuit can benefit from information and evidence gathered in other lawsuits nationwide and yet be handled on an individual basis. 

We have a toll free number to reach an attorney to answer your questions with regard to your specific case. That number is 1-800-829-7037. Please ask to speak to Robert Samet, and he will place you in touch with one of our drug and medical product liability litigation lawyers. If you would prefer, please feel free to e-mail us or complete the help inquiry form on this web site. Please be sure to include your name, address, telephone number (if you wish to be called), email address and the exact nature of your question, so that our lawyer can provide you with the specific information you seek.