Friday, February 3, 2017

Atlee Hall Attorney Jaime Jackson Speaks to National Audience on the Sorin Stockert 3T Heater Cooler Device and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Chimaera Infections

Atlee Hall Attorney Jaime Jackson recently updated a group of attorneys gathered in Miami, Florida on the status of litigation involving the Sorin 3T heater-cooler devices.  Atlee Hall has been at the forefront of this litigation involving the Sorin 3T and the Nontuberculous Mycobacteria chimaera (NTM) bacteria infection, since 2014
It had been alleged that the Sorin 3T heater-cooler devices manufactured by Sorin Group Deutschland and distributed by Sorin Group USA in Arvada, Colorado, contained Nontuberculous Mycobacteria chimaera, which contaminated patients at local hospitals during open heart surgical procedures.  The CDC referred to a recent study published in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report which confirmed that genome sequencing from patients with confirmed bacterial infections matched bacteria samples taken from contaminated machines.   The study identifies contamination of the devices at the company’s manufacturing plant in Munchen, Germany.

While many hospitals have not yet disclosed patient infections to date, Pennsylvania hospitals in Philadelphia, York, and Dauphin counties have revealed the presence of infections.  Most recently, Penn Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia has confirmed that several of its patients have been diagnosed with the infection.  It is expected that the number of confirmed cases will continue to grow after the publication of this study since the Sorin devices comprise approximately 60% of the market for these devices.  Atlee Hall, LLP currently represents several patients who have contracted the NTM infection from the Sorin Stockert 3T Heater-Cooler Devices