After the RMC revelations on Monday, the case of Philips respirators accelerated sharply during the week. After testimonials from users worried regarding the possibility of a link between these machines once morest apnea and the appearance of cancersthe French drug authority, the ANSM, took up the case.
The latter calls on Philips to proceed with the replacement more quickly, under penalty of legal proceedings. And this Friday, the ANSM even took a binding measure once morest the industrial giant in order to force it to speed up the replacement of defective respiratory devices.
The Agency “takes a health policy decision to speed up the replacement of certain devices” Philips, she said in a statement. The Dutch group announced last summer that it was recalling several models of devices worldwide intended to help patients breathe better, in particular used once morest sleep apnea.
>>> READ ALSO – Sleep apnea: a class action lawsuit once morest Philips “to know the truth”
If Philips does not respect the decision, it will thus incur criminal proceedings.
These devices, which are used by 370,000 patients in France and 1.5 million across Europe, contain sound-absorbing foam. It is this that is in question: the group noticed that particles came out of the device and might therefore be inhaled or ingested by the patient.
This can cause irritation, such as headaches. The group also mentioned a “potential” risk of long-term cancer, even if it is not proven.
But, more than six months following this announcement, the French authorities regret too much slowness of Philips to replace the defective devices. According to the ANSM, the group has only replaced 7% of the respirators in question.
The “health policy decision” is a binding measure. If Philips does not respect it, it will incur criminal proceedings. In detail, the ANSM asks that three quarters of the devices be replaced or repaired by mid-2022, then all of them by the end of the year. The agency also wants Philips to undertake a precise study of the risks represented by its devices and send its results to it within a year.
It is better to keep the respirator than to dispose of it without replacement
But the ANSM, which also fears a wave of panic among patients, also recalled that it was much better to keep your defective respirator than to get rid of it without replacement.
“Stopping treatment presents a proven short-term risk, for example accident-prone drowsiness, increased cardiovascular risk, or even worsening of respiratory failure,” she explained.
>>> READ ALSO – UNDERSTAND IT ALL – Sleep apnea: why Philips devices are of great concern to sufferers
???? INFO RMC: New revelation in the case of Philips sleep apnea devices. Patients and their associations are organizing to take the Dutch electronics giant to court.
— RMC (@RMCinfo) February 10, 2022
