This litigation has concluded and we are proud to report that our clients' claims have been successfully resolved. The amounts of all individual client recoveries are confidential, both by settlement agreement and by attorney-client privilege. MLG is no longer accepting cases involving this product.
Mycobacteria are rod shaped single celled organisms that are widely distributed in the environment. M. chimaera is one type of mycobacteria and it causes the infection linked to the Sorin Stockert 3-T Heater-Cooler System. Generally, these bacteria are harmless to humans but can affect those with a weakened immune system. This is often the case with open-heart surgery patients.
Symptoms sometimes take months and even years to manifest after exposure to mycobacteria. The common symptoms for NTM are fatigue, fever, muscle aches, weight loss, joint pain, and myalgia. If left untreated a multitude of infections can develop including, abscess, surgical site infection, bacteremia, hepatitis, splenomegaly, pancytopenia, renal insufficiency, osteomyelitis, or endocarditis. Mycobacteria can also cause pulmonary disease, lymphadenitis, skin disease, or connective tissue disease.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis of NTM cannot be determined by a blood test. The diagnosis involves mycobacterial testing. Swabs of infected areas along with samples of tissue or fluid may be taken. It often takes months to culture M. chimera bacterium in the laboratory to determine its presence in the patient. Because of this time lapse hospitals rarely test for the NTM infection. In many cases the NTM infection has progressed severely before testing is even considered. Any patients that was exposed to the Sorin Stockert 3T Heater-Cooler System during surgery should seek out testing despite their health status.
Treating NTM infections usually requires more than one antibiotic for an extended period of time. The length of treatment depends on testing used to monitor the effectiveness of each antibiotic. It can take several months or longer to eliminate the infection if diagnosed in time.
This litigation has concluded and we are proud to report that our clients' claims have been successfully resolved. The amounts of all individual client recoveries are confidential, both by settlement agreement and by attorney-client privilege. MLG is no longer accepting cases involving this product.