Phillips Telling Patients To Consult With Their Physicians Before Discontinuing Using The Recalled Sleep Apnea Device

Phillips has recently changed their guidance on using the recalled medical device causing confusion

Monday, February 21, 2022 - Patients with a sleep disorder called sleep apnea have had their medical devices recalled due to a defect that may cause lung disease and possibly cancer. A design defect in the Phillips brand of sleep apnea machines may result in toxic, possibly carcinogenic, black particles, gasses, and chemicals leaching into the machine's airways to be repeatedly inhaled into the user's lungs with every breath throughout the night. Breathing toxic material throughout the night is so serious that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issues a Class I recall for most models of sleep apnea machines made by Phillips Respironics, a subsidiary of Royal Phillips of the Netherlands. Class I FDA recalls are reserved for drugs and medical devices that are so defective that they pose a risk of causing human death if used as directed by the manufacturer. "In July 2021, the FDA classified the Philips CPAP recall as a Class I recall. This means the recalled product may cause serious injury or death. ... The CPAP maker said people who inhale or ingest foam particles or gases may suffer from toxic, carcinogenic and respiratory effects," according to DrugWatch.com. Hundreds of users of Phillips sleep apnea machines have filed Phillips CPAP Cancer lawsuits alleging that using the device regularly for more than one year caused or contributed to their recent lung disease diagnosis. Phillips Respironics has been accused of dragging their feet and not taking their responsibility to repair and replace the devices seriously by US Attorney William Tong. "My Office is receiving a growing number of complaints from patients and medical providers concerning a voluntary recall by Philips Respironics of certain ventilator devices that have a defect which your company and the Food and Drug Administration have determined is potentially life-threatening. Patients are justifiably alarmed that the defect and lack of an immediate replacement have thwarted their use of a life-sustaining device."

Scientific hearings will be held in 2022 by a federal judge presiding over Philips sleep apnea multidistrict litigation to try and determine the exact cause of the machine's failings. One camp thinks that the machine's Pe-Pure foam noise abatement foam insulation was a poor choice of materials and degraded due to heat and vibrations. Phillips Respironics executives think differently. They have accused SoClean Ozone cleaning solutions, an unproven type of sleep apnea machine cleaning solution, of causing the foam to disintegrate. Neither Phillips Respironics nor the FDA has approved using SoClean cleaning solution, however, so many Phillips sleep apnea users were using it that the company filed $200 million lawsuits against Phillips for loss of revenue when the sleep improvement devices were recalled. To confuse matters further, Phillips Respironics has changed their guidance to customers that are concerned with the device's safety. The company writes, "For patients using BiLevel PAP and CPAP devices, consult with your physician on a suitable treatment plan. This guidance has been updated from our previous recommendation to stop therapy before consulting with your physician."

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Lawyers for CPAP Cancer Lawsuits

We will represent all persons in involved in a BiPAP or CPAP cancer lawsuit on a contingency basis, meaning there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. Anyone who developed cancer or another serious side effect as a result of using a Philips CPAP sleep apnea machine or ventilator in --or is a family member of such a person--is eligible to receive a free, no-obligation case review from our attorneys. Simply contact our firm through the online contact form or the chat feature and one of our Philips BiPAP cancer lawyers serving will contact you promptly to discuss your case.