Olympus Sued for Millions after Deadly Scope Infection
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento area defective medical device lawyer. Olympus Corporation is facing charges of lawsuits for wrongful death of patients following a procedure with one of their scopes that led to infections. This particular scope, or duodenoscope, was manufactured and designed in such a way that tissue and bacteria was easily trapped in the scope and being transferred from patient to patient even with proper cleaning and sanitizing.
What is a Duodenoscope?
The duodenoscope is a long, black tube that is inserted down the mouth to the small intestines to diagnose and treat problems of the bile duct in a procedure called an ERCP. The design flaw on this scope is something Olympus knew about and did not take action towards for years as people continued to be infected all over the country. Not only did these infected patients, their families and the hospitals suffer from delayed healing and long-term side effects but many died. This Olympus scope is a defective medical device that lead to an alarming number of devastating infection outbreaks and wrongful death lawsuits all over the nation and around the world.
Seattle Case – Deadly Scope Infection
Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle was one of many hospitals affected by a”superbug” or an antibiotic resistant infection, known as CRE, over a year ago. 18 of the 39 patients that were infected died in this hospital alone making it one of the largest outbreaks of this kind. One of those who died was the husband of Theresa Bigler. Mrs. Bigler won a wrongful death case last month. The court is mandating that Olympus pay 6.6 million to the hospital in damages tied to this infection outbreak for not providing them with any warnings or instructions to follow for cleaning with this flaw. The hospital is required to pay 1 million to the Bigler family for the wrongful death of her husband. The Bigler family sued both the hospital and Olympus for wrongful death, negligence and fraud for the flawed scope. Soon after that the Virginia Mason Medical Center joined the lawsuit against Olympus as well even though they were partly to blame for the outbreak. Olympus knew about infection outbreaks and flaws with the scope in 2012 but did not alert American hospitals of this flaw putting many people at risk for years. Olympus is finally being held accountable for these infections and deaths and for not taking action to redesign their scopes sooner. Around 25 patients and their families have now sued Olympus for wrongful death, negligence or fraud like the Bigler family. The FDA is also in continuous investigation of Olympus and this duodenoscope.
Continued Infections after Redesign
Olympus did recall some 4,400 of the model TJF-Q180V scopes in January of 2016 and since then has been approved by the FDA for the continued use of newly designed scopes. But even since this recall, infection continues to be reported from hospitals using the scope in foreign countries. This new infection is different than the first. 5 patients had tested positive for a strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae that is also resistant to all but last-resort antibiotics and 1 of these patients has died. It is premature to assume anything against Olympus’ scope design again but the history is there of cutting corners and failing to alert others of the possible risks in their design. After the recall in 2016, Olympus did put forth new cleaning and handling instructions for hospitals to help reduce infection. But as with any procedure, infection risk is never 100% and it is always important to discuss risks and benefits with your doctor if in need of an ERCP with a duodenoscope. Always be aware of possible signs and symptoms of infection and know that the percentage of being infected is still less than 0.02%. If you have already been affected by an Olympus duodenoscope or other defective products please call a defective medical device lawyer for help.
Additional Links of Interest:
What is a defective medical device?
Defective Olympus Scopes linked to Deadly Infection
IVC Blood Clot Filter Defect
Sacramento Defective Medical Device Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith and I am a Sacramento defective medical device lawyer. Olympus scopes have affected many over the years. If defective medical devices or product is something you or someone you love has suffered from, please call us for free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400. I can also be reached out of Sacramento area toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
I have spent over 35 years practicing personal injury and wrongful death law, helping others like yourself. Don’t wait to get the help you have been waiting for from a defective medical device problem.
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