Many Ohio families rely on medications to keep them healthy. Medicines are supposed to be highly regulated to ensure they achieve their primary function, to heal the sick. When drug companies fail to do their jobs properly and drug injuries result, pharmaceutical litigation seeks to hold the responsible parties accountable for their errors.
In another state, a recent lawsuit is attempting to do just that. A family is suing a drug manufacturer whose negligence, the suit alleges, led to the death of an infant through a contaminated laxative. The laxative, Dicoto Liquid, was recalled after it was discovered to contain a deadly bacteria known as Burkholderia cepacia. The recall, unfortunately, came too late for the infant, who died in May 2016.
Among a number of other medical conditions, the child suffered from severe acid reflux that caused fluid to build up in her lungs and eventually resulted in chronic lung disease. In addition to her breathing devices and pain medication, the reflux also necessitated the connection of a feeding tube directly to the baby’s intestines. It was through this tube that doctors administered the tainted Dicotol laxative to counteract a common side effect of the pain medication, constipation.
Tragically, this contaminated laxative is how, the lawsuit alleges, the Burkholderia cepacian was introduced into the baby’s system, and which is believed to have eventually led to her death. The Dicotol Liquid was later recalled by PharmaTech after the Food and Drug Administration linked it to a multi-state outbreak of B. cepacia infections. The family of the deceased infant has named PharmaTech as defendants in their lawsuit. Likewise, anyone in Ohio who has suffered drug injuries or a lost loved one in similar circumstances may benefit by consulting an attorney with experience in pharmaceutical litigation cases.
Source: triblive.com, “Deadly bacteria: Pittsburgh family sues drug maker over contaminated laxative“, Ben Schmitt, Oct. 28, 2017
