Providing antibiotics via a PICC line in both the inpatient and outpatient settings may not be as benign as once accepted.
“Providing antibiotics via a PICC line in both the inpatient and outpatient settings may not be as benign as once accepted … Mounting evidence has called into question whether longer parenteral therapy is truly a ‘more conservative’ or ‘safer’ approach to the treatment of osteomyelitis”… Dr. James B. Wood, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University
Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national pharmaceutical injury attorney states, “For decades the standard treatment for osteomyelitis in children has been six weeks IV antibiotics. Unfortunately, manufacturers continue to produce defective products that fail and cause serious complications when there are safer designs for the PICC line catheter that reduce the risk of serious complications.”
Dr. Vigna continues, “The problem is that manufacturers with the old and obsolete devices aren’t sponsoring studies comparing one PICC line to another to understand if improvements noted in laboratory testing of the device actually work to reduce blood clots, occlusion of the catheter, and central line-associated blood infections. It took seven years to determine that the promise of BioFlo PICC seemingly fails to meaningfully reduce the risks of these complications. Early testing is required, not seven years of profits.”
“Manufacturers continue to produce defective products that fail and cause serious complications when there are safer designs for the PICC line catheter that reduce the risk of serious complications.” — Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Managing patients with septic blood clots caused by PICC lines are serious hospital-related complications. We know that it is more related to the type of PICC line than any other factor that relates to the nursing care that is maintaining the line. These complications hurt neonates, those who have cancer, and simply anyone who requires long-term antibiotics through the line. There are 2.7 million PICCs placed in the United States each year and safety is more important than profits by companies like Bard.”
Dr. Vigna adds, “I see these older PICC lines as being obsolete for nearly a decade. The older PICC lines and central lines are unreasonably dangerous as they are causing avoidable injuries. Blood clots and infection are substantially reduced with newer designs of hydrophilic catheters that have been on the market since 2018.”
What does the literature show that Dr. Wood is relying on in JAMA Pediatrics, February 2015, Number 2?
- A total of 2060 children from 36 hospitals were included.
- Of the 1055 children in the PICC group, 158 (15.0%) had a PICC-related complication.
- 96 children (9%) of those with PICC complications required an emergency department visit.
- 38 (3.6%) required re-hospitalization.
The Vigna Law Group is investigating PICC line and other central line complications that use obsolete technology in neonates, children, and older.
What is sepsis? Multiple organ damage from inflammation as a result of infection that may result in organ damage to the brain, kidney, heart, liver, and lung.
What is septic shock? A life-threatening condition that causes dangerously low blood pressure because of infection that may result in amputations of fingers and toes, brain damage, kidney failure, ventilator dependence, oxygen dependence, and nerve damage.
What is a deep vein thrombosis? Blood clots in the deep venous system, referred to as DVT, that have the potential to break off and travel to the lung and this is called a pulmonary embolism.
Dr. Vigna concludes, “Nurses and hospitals work each day to reduce their incidence of bloodstream infections caused by PICC lines and other central lines. Patients and doctors expect that. Patients and doctors also expect that every PICC line and other central lines that are placed have the latest technology to reduce these known risks as well as that they are meaningfully tested early. That is not asking for much and is expected by all and that the currently cleared devices are improved and tested along the way.”
Dr. Vigna is a California and Washington DC lawyer who represents those with serious injuries cause by defective medical devices including PICC lines and Med-Ports. He represents the injured with the Ben Martin Law Group, a national pharmaceutical injury law firm in Dallas, Texas. The attorneys are product liability and medical malpractice attorneys, and they represent the most injured across the country.
Resources
https://cdn.mdedge.com/files/s3fs-public/pdfs/journals/jhm2549.pdf
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2022276
Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
+1 800-761-9206
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