Mother’s Day Rings Hollow for Families of Deceased GranuFlo Dialysis Victims

Mother’s Day Rings Hollow for Families of Deceased GranuFlo Dialysis Victims

By John Curran

Joseph Thiede did not celebrate Mother’s Day this year the way he has in the past, but the GranuFlo heart attack lawsuit he filed on behalf of his deceased mother could bring some sort of justice for both of them.

Thiede said that using the dialysis chemicals GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, which are linked to cardiac arrest and death in hundreds of dialysis patients, led to his mother’s death just weeks before the same holiday two years ago. According to his GranuFlo lawsuit attorney, neither Thiede nor his family had any idea that there were risks of heart problems that could afflict Cynthia Lou Thiede while receiving kidney dialysis treatment.

People who are dealing with kidney failure may not be as strong as most others in terms of health, so it is understandable that medical problems could arise. However, patients treated with GranuFlo and NaturaLyte were placed at an even greater risk for complications like heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke and death. Even the chemical manufacturer, Fresenius Medical Care, told facilities it ran in November 2011 to use other options to clean blood from patients undergoing kidney dialysis treatment to limit the possibility of GranuFlo cardiac arrest side effects.

The bicarbonates that can increase by using either chemical are similar to baking soda, and are used to remove impurities from the blood during cleaning. Unfortunately, there is a fine line between cleaning and potentially harming the heart. Too much bicarbonate in the blood can lead to a racing pulse and other problems, side effects that have been linked to bicarbonates since the 1980s.

While the research was there, other kidney dialysis centers not run by Fresenius Medical Care continued to use the drugs to help kidney failure patients until a June 2012 recall.

Thiede alleges in his GranuFlo lawsuit that is mother was only in dialysis treatment for six months, so there was little warning of any potential problems. Like hundreds of others, the side effects came quickly and had fatal consequences.

Over the next month, families of NaturaLyte and GranuFlo victims will miss out another important celebration, Father’s Day. However, a legal remedy might find some justice for lost loved ones. Learn more about one’s claim eligibility at the Kidney Dialysis Heart Attack, GranuFlo & NaturaLyte Recall Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. Fill out the short form there for a free consultation with a GranuFlo lawsuit attorney and get the jury award or settlement your potential case merits.