Can Philips CPAP Affect Your Kidney?

Normally, CPAP machines don’t negatively affect your kidney since they’re manufactured and prescribed to help with sleep apnea. However, many CPAP and BiPAP machines manufactured by Philips Respironics were recalled in June 2021 due to defects that exposed users to carcinogens through the product’s airway. The potential damage to a user’s internal organs may include kidney cancer. 

CPAP machines are one of the main devices prescribed to people suffering from sleep apnea. Read on for answers to your questions about how Philips CPAP machines affect your kidney and what you can do to seek compensation for health conditions you’ve developed from using a CPAP machine.

What Is a CPAP Machine?

A CPAP machine has a motor that generates oxygen flow to help people breathe at night or other times of day. Conditions like obstructive sleep apnea cause breathing interruptions, requiring people with sleep apnea to use CPAP or BiPAP devices. The stream of oxygen generated by the CPAP machine will ensure the lungs receive enough oxygen during the night. 

However, defects in the design of Philips CPAP machines can also deliver carcinogenic material into the body through the machine’s airway. 

How a Philips CPAP Machine Can Affect Your Kidney and Other Organs

Phillips used polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam in their CPAP machines to lessen the vibrations and sounds of the device. This toxic foam can degrade over time, causing users to inhale or swallow foam particles and other chemicals (per the U.S. Food & Drug Administration). The particles and gasses released following the breakdown of the foam can lead to various toxic effects when it enters the body, including kidney cancer. 

Other Types of Cancer Caused By Defective CPAP Machines

The health risks related to PE-PUR foam degradation go beyond kidney cancer. Other types of cancers CPAP users are vulnerable to and have been diagnosed with include: 

• Breast cancer
• Brain cancer 
• Bladder cancer
• Hematopoietic cancer
• Liver cancer
• Lung cancer
• Leukemia
• Lymphatic cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Nasal cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid cancer

Additional Health Risks of PE-PUR foam Toxins

Besides causing cancer, inhaling or swallowing the toxins from PE-PUR foam can result in various side effects and health conditions that affect the lungs, nose, eyes, throat, and skin. This means anyone with heart or lung problems and underlying lung diseases could be particularly vulnerable to the exposure of PE-PUR foam chemical emissions. 

Examples of other health risks related to the defective CPAP machines include: 

• Irritation of the respiratory tract, skin, nose, and eyes
• Headaches
• Asthma
• Lung damage
• Respiratory failure
• Coughing
• Chest pressure
• Inflammatory responses
• Dizziness
• Sinus infections
• Increased breathing problems 
• Hypersensitivity or immune system reactions 

If you were diagnosed with cancer, severe respiratory issues, or other serious health problems after using a Philips CPAP machine, you could seek compensation. You don’t have to deal with the financial burden of illness on your own. A CPAP lawsuit lawyer can help you determine if you have a viable lawsuit. 

Compensation You Could Seek through a CPAP Lawsuit

Conditions such as kidney cancer can leave you facing months or years of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy. If you have a viable lawsuit, you could be entitled to compensation for damages. 

The compensation potentially available in a CPAP lawsuit include:

• Medical bills: You could be entitled to compensation for your current, past, and future medical bills associated with the health condition caused by the CPAP machine.
• Pain and suffering: Being deceived about the safety of a medical device is emotionally traumatizing, and you could seek compensation for the emotional injury the experience caused.
• Lost wages: If you became hospitalized due to a defective CPAP machine and couldn’t work, you could seek lost income damages.
• Future income loss: If your health condition prevents you from working, you may receive compensation for future lost earning potential.
• Punitive damages: Sometimes, a jury or judge will decide that the company owes additional funds to punish the company for negligence and prevent similar actions from occurring again in the future. 

How a CPAP Lawsuit Lawyer Can Help You

A CPAP lawsuit lawyer will fight for your rights and ensure you seek the compensation and justice you deserve. Having a lawyer represent you for a Philips CPAP lawsuit comes with many benefits, including:

• Confirming if you have a viable lawsuit
• Determining if the CPAP machine you used is one of the recalled models
• Conducting the required communications for your lawsuit
• Retrieval of the required documents for evidence
• Assigning a value to your losses and damages
• Carrying out compensation negotiations

You don’t have to navigate the legal requirements alone, especially when you have a serious health condition. A lawyer can guide you through the steps you need to take and help you win the compensation you deserve.

The Team at Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers Has Helped Floridians for Decades

Our team of lawyers has been fighting for victims since 1995, and we are proud to represent the community to ensure everyone seeks the compensation they deserve. You will also be working directly with the firm’s partners Jason and Debi Chalik. 

Contact us today for a complimentary consultation to better understand your situation and advise you on the appropriate legal steps you can take. Let us work to get you the compensation you deserve so that you can focus on your health needs. Contact us today: (855) 529-0269.