Dr. Greg Vigna

Sepsis risk is higher in cancer and dialysis patients, with defective PICC lines contributing to infections, but hydrogel-coated lines may reduce these risks

SANTA BARBARA , CA, UNITED STATES, December 5, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “More than 20% of hospitalizations for sepsis among U.S. adults occur in patients with cancer, and the incidence of sepsis is increased by a factor of approximately 40 among patients receiving long-term hemodialysis," states Nuala J Meyer, M.D.

Dr. Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national PICC line attorney, states, “Polyurethane PICC lines, dialysis catheters, and ports are all defective since there are PICC lines available that are made with a hydrogel matrix that reduces bacterial colonization of the tubing that is in the vein and reduces the risk of bloodstream infections and sepsis. This material also reduces the risk of occlusion and blood clots.”

What did Dr. Meyer report in “Sepsis and Septic Shock” published in the New England Journal of Medicine 2024; 391:2133-2146?

“Sepsis should be considered in all patients presenting with severe infection or acute organ dysfunction that is not attributable to a noninfectious cause. For patients presenting with infection, clinicians should look for clinical and laboratory evidence of acute organ dysfunction. Altered mentation, hypotension, and tachypnea are particularly suggestive of sepsis among patients with infection, although the absence of these signs does not rule out sepsis … Even in the absence of fever or localizing signs of infection, sepsis should be considered in patients with altered mentation, hypotension, dyspnea, and acute decompensation of chronic diseases, such as diabetic ketoacidosis or decompensated cirrhosis.”

Read Dr. Meyer’s article: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra2403213?query=TOC

Dr. Vigna concludes, “Approximately 8-17% of hospital-acquired sepsis is caused by infected central lines. Community-acquired sepsis is more common than hospital-acquired. Hospital-acquired sepsis is far more lethal. PICC lines and other central lines made with hydrophilic technology reduce these risks.”

Dr. Vigna is a California and Washington DC lawyer who focuses on serious injuries caused by defective medical devices including PICC lines, dialysis catheters, and other central lines. He represents the injured with the Ben Martin Law Group, a national pharmaceutical injury law firm in Dallas, Texas. The attorneys are product liability and medical malpractice attorneys, and they represent the most injured across the country.

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Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
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