Bard PowerPort Lawsuit
Bard PowerPort implantable catheters, used to deliver IV fluids and medications, have been linked to high rates of device failure. The catheters may be prone to breakage or fracture which may cause life-threatening complications.
Device-maker Bard and its parent company, Becton Dickinson, may be facing numerous lawsuits filed by people and loved ones of those who experienced injury or complications after receiving a Bard PowerPort catheter.
Potential Bard PowerPort related injuries and complications include:
- Blood clots
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Hemorrhage
- Pulmonary embolism
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Sepsis (bloodstream infection)
- Necrosis (death of tissue)
- Death
Hundreds of adverse events linked to Bard PowerPort catheters have been reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). People or loved ones of those who were injured after receiving a Bard PowerPort implantable catheter may be eligible for compensation.
What is a Bard PowerPort?
Bard PowerPort is a type of catheter which is implanted beneath the skin to deliver fluids and medications such as chemotherapy to the bloodstream. Implantable catheters are also known as “ports” and are used to allow easy access to veins when frequent or continuous medication delivery is needed.
Bard PowerPort is a brand name of port-type catheters which uses power injectable technology and is made of a radiopaque plastic which can easily be seen during radiology exams. Bard PowerPort devices are manufactured as a titanium and polymer device which is connected to a catheter or tube that travels into a central vein to administer medications.
The plastic used in Bard PowerPort construction is a material known as Chronoflex, a flexible polymer which contains barium, making it radiopaque. High concentrations of barium in the polymer may result in breakdown of the tubing, resulting in fracture, degradation, fissures, and cracking of the tubing.
There are several individual products in the PowerPort line of catheters which may be prone to fracture or breakage including:
- Bard Power-Injectable Implantable Ports (PowerPorts®)
- BardPort®, SlimPort®, And X-Port® Implanted Ports
- Power-Injectable Implantable Ports With Chronoflex Polyurethane Catheters
- PowerPort Implantable Port
- PowerPort ClearVUE Slim Implantable Port
- PowerPort ClearVUE isp Implantable Port
- PowerPort Duo MRI Implanted Port With 9.5 Fr. Dual Lumen Chronoflex Polyurethane Catheter
- PowerPort Implanted Port With Groshong Catheter
- PowerPort MRI Implanted Port With 9.6 Fr Silicone Catheter
- Titanium PowerPort isp Implanted Port With 6 Fr Chronoflex Polyurethane Catheter
- Titanium PowerPort isp Implanted Port
- PowerPort duo MRI Implantable Port
Bard PowerPort Linked to Adverse Event Injuries
Bard PowerPort devices have been named in hundreds of serious adverse event reports filed with the FDA. The implantable port devices may be prone to fracture due to the polymer containing barium. Fracture of the PowerPort may release fragments, cause the device to migrate, increase the risk of blood clots, or allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream at the port site.
Bard PowerPort fracture or infection may result in serious injuries including:
- Blood clots
- Hemorrhage
- Punctures in veins or heart
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Heart arrhythmia
- Pulmonary embolism
- Sepsis (bloodstream infection)
- Necrosis (tissue death)
- Death
Bard PowerPort Recall
A previous Class II recall was issued in 2020 for a small number of Bard PowerPorts which may have contained the wrong type of tubing tip. This recall was unrelated to the potential for fragmentation and infection and was not associated with any injuries.
Though hundreds of serious adverse event (SAE) reports have been filed with the FDA due to fragmentation and infection issues, Bard has not recalled any PowerPort catheters because of these injuries and continues to manufacture and market the devices.
Bard PowerPort Lawsuits
PowerPort manufacturer, C.R. Bard and its parent company, Becton Dickinson & Company (BD), are facing numerous lawsuits filed by people and loved ones of those who were injured or developed serious complications after receiving an implantable Bard PowerPoint catheter. Lawsuits claim that the devices are manufactured with a faulty design which may result in serious injury and that the company may have known about the dangers of the devices but continued to sell them anyway.
Federal lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Bard and BD may also be facing lawsuits in state and local courts. Separately, Bard and BD may also be facing thousands of lawsuits for other devices including the Bard IVC filters, pelvic mesh, and hernia mesh.
People or loved ones of those who experienced complications of Bard PowerPort fracture, migration, or infection including heart attack, stroke, hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, arrhythmia, sepsis, or necrosis may be eligible for compensation.
Notwithstanding claims relating to this product, the drug/medical device remains approved by the U.S. FDA.