Manufacturer Of Dangerous C-Pap Machines Agrees To DoJ Settlement

The company responsible for a global recall of sleep apnea machines will be barred from resuming production in the U.S. until it meets a number of safety requirements, under a settlement announced yesterday. Via the Associated Press:

Philips will be required to overhaul its manufacturing and quality control systems and hire independent experts to vet the changes, according to a court order announced by the U.S. Department of Justice. The company must also continue to replace, repair or provide refunds to all U.S. customers who got the defective devices, the department said.

The action is a major step toward resolving one of the biggest medical device recalls in history, which has dragged on for nearly three years.

Most of the devices recalled are continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machines. They force air through a mask to keep mouth and nasal passageways open during sleep. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to dangerous drowsiness and increased risk of heart attack.

Coincidentally, I am getting my replacement C-pap today. For the past five months, my Phillips c-pap has been spewing what I presume are toxic, cancer-causing fumes into my sinuses and lungs. I can't tell you what it took for me to put that goddamned mask on every night, knowing the possible long-term damage. And every morning, I woke up with a weird, chemical-tasting film on the inside of my mouth and pain in my chest.

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