Studies show additional evidence of Trasylol heart surgery injection problems
Evidence continues to confirm that the heart surgery injection Trasylol greatly increases the risk of kidney complications and death. A Trasylol recall was issued last November following nearly two years of concerns about the drug’s link with reports of kidney damage and death. A recent report on CBS’s 60 Minutes indicated that as many as 22,000 deaths could have been caused by the injection.
>>INFORMATION: Trasylol Heart Surgery Injection Problems
The current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine contains two studies which provide additional information about the potentially fatal problems associated with the Trasylol injection, which is given to reduce bleeding during open heart surgery. Researchers found that individuals were more likely to die after receiving a Trasylol injection when compared with patients who received a different drug or no treatment at all for bleeding during surgery.
The first study reviewed records for over 10,000 heart surgery patients at Duke University Medical Center, comparing death rates for those who were given the Trasylol heart surgery injection to those who were given older medications or no medication to limit blood loss. The study confirmed the connection between Trasylol use and kidney damage, and found users of the drug were more likely to die than those who were not given Trasylol. Data indicated that 6.4% of patients who received a Trasylol injection died within 30 days and almost 16% died within a year of surgery, which was approximately 2.5 times higher than those who did not receive the antibleeding injection.
The second study, which was funded by the Trasylol manufacturer, Bayer, reviewed data from over 78,000 heart surgery patients, comparing those who were given a Trasylol injection to those who received aminocaproic acid, another medication used to prevent excessive bleeding. The researchers found that the risk of death following heart surgery was 64% higher in patients who were given Trasylol, even after controlling for other possible factors. Additional complications requiring postoperative revascularization and dialysis also occurred more frequently in patients who received Trasylol.
TRASYLOL HEART SURGERY INJECTION LAWYERS
The Trasylol lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential lawsuits nationwide on behalf of individuals who were diagnosed with kidney failure, a heart attack, stroke or death within two weeks of receiving the injection to control bleeding during heart surgery. While the drug was on the market, thousands of heart patients received the injection every year, and many patients and their families remain unaware that Trasylol could be responsible for serious problems encountered after open heart surgery.
To find out whether you, a friend or family member received a Trasylol heart surgery injection, and to determine whether compensation may be available for serious or fatal problems following bypass surgery, request a free consultation.
