Pradaxa Injury Attorneys
Pradaxa (dabigatran) is prescribed to prevent stroke, primarily in patients with a heart arrhythmia called nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AFib). It works by preventing the formation of blood clots, and it is effective in preventing ischemic stroke in this high risk group, but it can also cause serious bleeding events and death. If you have been suffered Pradaxa injuries, please talk to experienced Pradaxa injury attorneys at The Hickey Law Firm, P.A. right away.
Why “Blood Thinners” are Prescribed
All blood thinners, including Pradaxa, can cause dangerous bleeding events. They can also be very effective in preventing stroke in patients with a high risk for developing blood clots. Pradaxa is prescribed to people with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, and sometimes to prevent clots after surgery, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE).
Pradaxa More Dangerous Than Believed
Pradaxa was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October, 2010. It was approved based on a clinical trial which compared Pradaxa and warfarin and found that they had similar rates of major bleeding events. In December, 2011, the FDA announced that it was evaluating post-market reports of Pradaxa bleeding to determine if the drug is more dangerous than the agency originally believed.
No Reversal Agent
When other blood thinners cause spontaneous internal bleeding or excessive bleeding in the event of trauma, their anticlotting effects can be quickly reversed.
Pradaxa is an emergency room doctor’s nightmare. There is no reversal agent, and no way to stop Pradaxa bleeding in a reasonable amount of time. Pradaxa is filtered and removed from the body by the kidneys. With no antidote, the only way to get the blood clotting again is to use dialysis to remove Pradaxa from the blood. That takes several hours and only removes about 60% of the drug.
Patients can bleed to death before the reversal protocol takes effect. Those who survive can suffer permanent injuries.
If you or someone you love has sufferedPradaxa injuries, please call our Pradaxa injury attorneys at 1-800-215-7117 or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation with our Pradaxa injury attorneys is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, in most cases we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.