Recall Of Philips CPAP Machines Means Your Health Could Be At Risk
| Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that affects millions and their ability to function normally during the day. The most common symptoms are snoring and intermittent periods of non-breathing followed by gasping when breathing resumes. When the sufferer awakens in the morning, they are usually feel tired and remain lethargic all day because they haven’t received a good night’s sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a host of other health problems.
For years now, doctors have been prescribing CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines for their patients with sleep apnea. With a CPAP machine, the air pressure is somewhat greater than that of the surrounding air and is just enough to keep the upper airway passages open, preventing snoring and sleep apnea. They are often used in the patient’s home, but also in nursing homes, hospitals, ICU’s and NICU’s. But now there is big problem with CPAPs that could affect your health even more severely than sleep apnea. On June 14, 2021, Philips Respironics ™, the largest manufacturer of CPAPs in the country issued a voluntary recall of certain CPAPs and related equipment. The recall asserts that a component of certain machines – the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam – may disintegrate into particles which could enter the device’s air pathway and be inhaled or ingested by the user. Even more troublesome: the PE-PUR foam may emit certain chemicals that could contribute to serious health issues (see below). Philips’ recall letter can be read here: The recall includes these devices, sold between 2009 and April 2021.
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