The pharmaceutical company and medical device manufacturer Hospira, Inc., has issued a Class I recall of its Plum A+ and A+3 infusion pumps, according to the FDA website. The pumps have an alarm that is supposed to trigger when therapy is interrupted. However, some of the pumps’ alarms fail to sound in situations that should trigger them.
Class I recalls are the most serious class of recalls, and are issued when recalled products have a reasonable probability to cause serious health problems or death for people using them. In the case of the Plum A+ and A+3 infusion pumps, it is possible that due to the alarm failing to sound, a patient could have therapy interrupted for an extended period of time before a health professional becomes aware of the situation. This could result in severe injury or death for patients receiving intravenous medication. So far, no deaths or serious injuries have been reported in relation to the recalled pumps.
Hospira sent customers two Urgent Medical Device Corrections in July 2014 including directions to inform potential users of the defective Plum A+ and A+3 pumps, fill out a reply form, and notify anyone to whom the devices were further distributed. According to the FDA website, Hospira has contracted with Stericycle, Inc., of Indianapolis, IN, for customer notification, response tracking, returns, and effectiveness checks.
Deaths, injuries, and property damage resulting from consumer products cost the nation over $1 trillion every year in medical, repair, and other expenses. The lawyers at Lopez McHugh are committed to protecting the rights and welfare of consumers who have suffered from defective products. If you or someone you know was injured while using a defective Plum A+ or A+3 pump, contact our attorneys immediately for a free consultation. You may be eligible for compensation.
