Invasive Procedure Equipment Causes Big Problems When Contaminated

 Posted on December 05, 2014 in Defective Medical Devices

With cancer rates at an all-time high and cancer remaining a leading cause of death in the United States, the word biopsy has become a household term. A biopsy, according to WebMD, is the examination of a contaminated tissue that was removed from the body to determine what disease—or to what extent the disease is present—is afflicting a patient. A patient will undergo a biopsy if he or she has abnormal test results or if a medical practitioner suspects that it could identify an unidentified condition. There are several types of biopsies, according to WebMD. A surgical biopsy is one of the most common, and one of the most dangerous. In a surgical biopsy, a surgeon will either remove a part of tissue or a whole lump of tissue.

Because of the sensitive nature of biopsies, especially in cases in which a patient may already be ill or injured, equipment used in the procedure must be painstakingly considered. When biopsy medical devices are recalled, it can be a very serious issue for any patient involved. One such recall issued in 2011 just recently expired, but not before implicating thousands of patients. In 2011, DeRoyal Industries, based in Tennessee, issued a recall of their Geomed Biopsy Tray, an all-inclusive tool kit used by surgeons to perform the invasive procedure. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there were several products included in the tray that were potentially contaminated, including triad lubricating jelly, alcohol prep pads, and alcohol swabs.

According to the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID), Center for Disease Control data suggests that 1.7 million people contract infections in U.S. hospitals every year. The RID posits that number is actually seven times higher than that. Contamination from faulty medical equipment, such as the recalled biopsy tray, is one major culprit of such infection. Medical equipment that is not sterilized properly can not only transmit infection borne at the manufacturing site, but also obtained at the hospital itself.

If you or someone you know has gotten an infection while hospitalized and suspect that it could have been caused by a contaminated medical product or device, you may be eligible for compensation. Do not go through it alone. Contact an Arlington Heights defective medical product attorney for a free phone consultation today.