Becton Dickinson and Option Care Health Hit with California PICC Lines Endocarditis Lawsuit

Dr. Vigna warns that outdated polyurethane PICC lines increase bloodstream infection risks, urging hospitals to adopt safer, more effective technology

SANTA BARBARA, CA, UNITED STATES, March 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “Without a doubt this is a serious health concern for the public as infusion companies and manufacturers of polyurethane PICC lines continue to market and profit from cheap, obsolete technology that does nothing to reduce the risk of venous catheter associated bloodstream infections. There are safer designs that reduce these risks,” states Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national product liability, malpractice attorney.

Dr. Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national malpractice attorney, PICC line sepsis attorney says, “Central-line associated bloodstream infections are increasing because hospitals continue to use polyurethane PICC lines and infusion centers don’t advocate for safer technology. Profits over patient safety needs to end.”

What did Dr. Chrissoheris report in his article, “Endocarditis Complicating Central Venous Catheter Bloodstream Infections: A Unique Form of Health Care Associated Endocarditis” in Clin. Cardiol. 32, 12, E48-E54”?:

“Of particular concern is the increasing incidence of health care-associated endocarditis which accounts for 7%–29% of endocarditis cases seen at tertiary care hospitals. This trend parallels the increasing use of central venous catheters.

Of the 24 patients in our series, only 3 patients underwent surgery during the index hospitalization. In spite of appropriate antibiotic therapy, 5 patients (20.8%) died during their index admission and MRSA was the offending pathogen in 4 of these cases.

The high mortality rates are also a reflection of the significant burden of illness seen in these patients.”

Read Dr. Chrissoheris’s article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/clc.20498

Dr. Vigna continues, “Hospital acquired bloodstream infections from PICC lines lead to hospital acquired sepsis and septic shock with resistant organisms that have a substantial increase is morbidity and mortality when compared with community acquired infections. PICC lines should be removed quickly when they are no longer needed and should only be used when peripheral heplocks aren’t practical given the clinical scenario.”

Dr. Vigna concludes, “There are commercially available PICC lines available that use superhydrophilic technology. This is very promising technology that is being pushed to the back of the line by Bard and other device manufacturers as they choose profits over safety and sell defective polyurethane devices.”

Vigna Law Group Case Criteria: PICC, dialysis catheter, and other central-line complications

- Sepsis, Septic Shock, ICU ventilatory support
- End-organ injury, including:
1. Renal failure
2. Liver failure
3. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
4. Heart valve damage
5. Cognitive impairment
6. Septic arthritis (joint infections)
7. Spinal infections
8. Amputations

Dr. Vigna is a California and Washington DC lawyer who focuses on serious injuries cause 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.

To learn more about PICC lines, click here.

Case Number: 25CV00052
County of Sonoma, Superior Court of the State of California

Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
+1 817-809-9023
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