Patient Safety
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
Pharmaceutical companies do not always put the health and safety of patients first. All too often, sales and profits drive decisions regarding drug and medical device development, testing and labeling. When a pharmaceutical company fails to adequately test a drug or medical device, or designs a drug or device that is defective, serious injury, and sometimes even death, can result. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective drug or medical device, you may have legal rights and you may be entitled to compensation.
Our attorneys have the expertise and experience to successfully litigate your legal claims against major pharmaceutical companies. Our attorneys are knowledgeable about a wide range of dangerous drugs and have represented hundreds of clients who have been injured by the careless actions of pharmaceutical companies. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective drug or medical device, click here to request more information about your rights and potential remedies.
Medical Malpractice
When a health care provider fails to deliver proper medical treatment or departs in any way from acceptable standards of care or safety, the injured patient may be eligible for financial compensation. We help individuals who have suffered due to substandard treatment, misdiagnosis and other breaches in a healthcare providers’ obligation to meet a minimum duty of care, to achieve the compensation they deserve.
The applicable “duty of care” depends on the standard of care for that professional or facility in their community. In the case of a doctor who is a medical specialist, the standard of care is determined by the standard of good medical practice in that specialty within the community. It is important to remember that medical professionals do not have a duty to cure, or even to guarantee a good outcome from treatment. Medical malpractice does not occur every time medical treatment is not successful. Professionals do, however, have a duty to provide good medical care according to accepted standards in the community, or, in the case of a specialist, accepted standards in that medical specialty. A misdiagnosis can be made even when all proper tests are performed accurately and evaluated by a skilled doctor with the utmost care. It may become malpractice, however, if the doctor fails to get a medical history, order the appropriate tests, or recognize observable symptoms of the illness.
Our attorneys possess the tools and expertise necessary to assess the applicable duty of care and evaluate what compensation may be available. For more information on applicable standards of care, or to request assistance in assessing whether your injuries are the result of medical malpractice, please click here to access an intake form and request additional information.
Proton Pump Inhibitors May Cause Kidney Problems
Andrus Anderson represents victims who have suffered kidney-related injuries after taking proton pump inhibitors (“PPIs”). PPIs present an increased risk of kidney disease or kidney failure.
What are PPIs?
Our bodies naturally produce acid in order to help with food digestion. However, this acid is also a common cause of ulcers in the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. Proton pump inhibitors (“PPIs”) reduce the body’s production of acid, preventing ulcers or allowing them to heal. PPIs are used to treat many conditions, including:
• Dyspepsia (also called “heartburn,” “indigestion,” or “acid reflux”);
• Peptic ulcer disease (also called “acid peptic disease”);
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or GORD);
• Laryngopharyngeal reflux causing laryngitis and chronic cough;
• Barrett’s esophagus;
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome;
• Eosinophilic esophagitis; and
• Stress gastritis and ulcers.
PPIs are one of the most-prescribed, and most-used medications in the world.
The most common brands of PPIs are Nexium and Prilosec (manufactured by AstraZeneca and Pfizer), but there are many PPI brands and manufacturers:
• AcipHex and AcipHex Sprinkle (manufactured by Eisai);
• Dexilant, previously called Kapidex (manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals);
• Nexium, Nexium IV, and Nexium 24hr (manufactured by AstraZeneca);
• Prevacid;
• Prevacid IV, and Prevacid 24hr (manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and by Novartis);
• Prilosec and Prilosec OTC (manufactured by AstraZeneca);
• Protonix, and Protonix IV (manufactured by Pfizer); and
• Zegerid, or Zegerid OTC (manufactured by Salix Pharmaceuticals, and by Bayer).
The Dangers of PPIs
PPIs are capable of dramatically increasing a person’s risk for kidney related problems. Specifically, patients taking PPIs have suffered from
• Chronic kidney disease (also called just “kidney disease” or “CKD”),
• Acute kidney injury (also called “acute renal failure” of “AKI”),
• Interstitial nephritis or infections, including pneumonia; and
• End-stage kidney or renal failure (also called “end-stage kidney/renal disease” or “ESRD” or “kidney/renal failure”).
These injuries have required dialysis treatment, kidney biopsies, kidney removal, or transplant surgery. In some cases, these problems have led to kidney failure, or even death.
Recent research has shown that patients who took PPIs had an 81% increased chance of chronic kidney disease compare to individuals who did not take PPIs, and a 28% increased chance of chronic kidney disease, compared to patients who took a PPI alternative (i.e. histamine H2 receptor blockers).
The PPI Attorneys
The attorneys at Andrus Anderson have a proven success record of holding pharmaceutical companies responsible when the products they manufacture harm consumers.
Individuals who have suffered kidney-related injuries like those described above after taking PPIs may be entitled to compensation from the manufacturer.
If you or a loved one has taken PPIs and suffered these kinds of injuries, contact Andrus Anderson now for a free, no-obligation, confidential case evaluation.