Hemodialysis is a medical procedure that removes certain elements from a person's blood. These elements are the waste materials that are not discharged due to failing kidney functions and may include such wastes as urea, potassium and even excess water. Hemodialysis is administered by professionals under the supervision of a doctor and nurses and is usually done in a specialized clinic or a room in a hospital.

How Hemodialysis Works

The blood of a patient is pumped through of a dialyzer's blood compartment and exposes this blood to a semipermeable membrane. A dialysis solution is then coursed through the dialysate compartment of this machine. The blood and the dialysis solutions placed in the dialyzer flows on different sides of this membrane. The clean blood is now returned to the patient's body after it is cleaned.

Side Effects of Hemodialysis

While hemodialysis is a procedure aimed to prolong the life of a patient, there are quite a few side effects to be aware of. Some of the more notable side effects brought about by this kind of a treatment include fatigue, low-blood pressure, headaches, leg cramps, and chest pains. These side effects are temporary, however and may bring slight discomfort to the patient, but are temporary. There is a new threat, though, to patients who undergo hemodialysis with the use of the Baxter Meridian Hemodialysis machine.

Baxter Meridian Hemodialysis

Hemodialysis, in itself, is a risky procedure that carries certain risks and side effects, but the Baxter Meridian Hemodialysis machines added another risk when it was used to treat patients with renal failure. With the Baxter Meridian hemodialysis machines, complications arose due to the tubing sets that can sometimes get knotted up or bent due to improper use. The knotting up of these tubes where the blood courses through could then cause broken blood cells, which could then cause serious injuries or death.

This discovery by lab technicians and nurses, who used these machines on their patients, prompted the company that built the machine to issue warnings that turned into a Class1 recall. Baxter, however, states that a Class 1 recall does not dictate that the machines should be returned to the manufacturer. To date, approximately 2,000 of these hemodialysis units are still in use in hospitals and clinics with more than three-fourths of that number in the United States alone. This means that a huge number of people in the United States are unknowingly undergoing treatment with the machine and risking their lives while doing so.

The Baxter Meridian Hemodialysis and Your Rights

If you or a loved one has suffered from the side effects of the Baxter Meridian Hemodialysis machine, you should seek the help of lawyers who can find ways for you and your loved ones to get the compensation that they deserve. The continued use of these machines on unsuspecting patients may increase the occurrence of side effects and death instead of getting well from the machine's usage. Call a lawyer now if you suspect that you or your loved ones have been victims of the effects of the Baxter Meridian Hemodialysis machine. They can help you find out what options you can exercise in terms of compensation and damages that their machine has inflicted. You should act on this as soon as you can before a statute of limitations on this kind of a case runs out. Your rights to financial restitution depend on your quick action, so contact a competent lawyer now.