Medical devices can drastically improve your quality of life or help protect your safety. For those with sleep apnea, the right medical device could do both. Sleep apnea involves the interruption or cessation of breathing while sleeping, which puts someone’s health at risk and compromises how well they sleep.
A CPAP machine helps ensure consistent respiration all night long, improving how restful sleep is for someone and reducing the risks of a medical emergency. Unfortunately, people using certain versions of those machines may have unwittingly exposed themselves to a noteworthy secondary danger.
There is a massive CPAP recall underway because of foam
Having a mask that fits comfortably is crucial to the functionality of a CPAP device. A mask that is too loose won’t serve its purpose, while rigid, tight or painful masks might keep people awake. Foam liners have long been seen as a means of achieving both a tight seal and a comfortable fit.
Unfortunately, the foams used for these machines haven’t always been made of the best materials. Philips Respironics has initiated a recall of multiple CPAP and BiPAP devices, including the popular DreamStation, because of the foam. The foam could break down, leading to blockages in the tubing or people inhaling or swallowing the particles, which could cause cancer in the future.
Medical devices must function properly, or they put users at risk. People should be able to rely on medical machinery to operate well and for their materials to be appropriate for the device’s intended use.
Connecting serious medical symptoms with defective products can help people pursue compensation after a poorly-made or designed product negatively affects their family.
