GranuFlo/Naturalyte Dialysate Products are now in the news. Many law firms are now aggressively pursuing, investigating and litigating cases against Fresenius, the German manufacturer and distributor of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte dialysate products. These products are supposed to safely filter and cleanse the blood; a process normally provided by the kidneys. Patients with renal failure can live long and happy lives with the assistance of safe, routine dialysis, however, studies suggest that that too low or too high levels of bicarbonate in patients' blood can lead to a litany of dangerous health problems, particularly, prolonged QT, sudden cardiac death, and cardiopulmonary arrest. GranuFLo/NaturaLyte has been directly linked to unsafe levels of bicarbonate in dialysis patients. Nearly 1000 patients died during the course of dialysis treatment at Fresenius clinics in 2010. A staggering number, considering the product has been on the market since 2003. Perhaps the the biggest travesty is that internal Fresenius memos suggest that the company was well aware of the problem with their product for years. In March 2012, Fresenius attempted to quietly adjust their products' use in the field by an external communication with dialysis providers; an action the FDA retroactively labeled a Class I recall. Lawyers inside the litigation tell me that the case involves unique and complex issues of estate law, statute of limitations considerations, venue choices, product identification, and injury investigation. Two such lawyers are accepting email inquiries from patients: Brian Barr (bbarr@levinlaw.com) and Chris Paulos (cpaulos@levinlaw.com), both of the Levin Papantonio law firm www.levinlaw.com.
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