Elite Medical Experts, which aligns with professors of medicine and surgery as subject matter consultants and expert witnesses, shares the perspectives of several of its pulmonary and emergency medical experts regarding the Philips CPAP, BiPAP, and ventilator recall.

“Direct exposure to foam particulates and chemicals can be dangerous for several reasons,” says Venktesh Ramnath, MD, an associate clinical professor of pulmonary medicine at UC San Diego Health, in a release. “Inhalation of particulate foam can lead to difficulty breathing and frank respiratory failure, and bacteria or fungus carried into the body can cause infection in the respiratory tract and lungs.”

Regarding off-gassing, Ramnath says, “Inhalation of isocyanates and other gases associated with polyurethane can cause lung irritation, and some may be carcinogenic in their own right. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals is worrisome, particularly since many people using CPAP and BiPAP already have underlying asthma and other respiratory diseases.”

Emergency medicine specialist Burton Bentley II, MD, CEO of Elite Medical Experts, says in a release, “The complex issues in this recall will necessitate expert witnesses from a variety of disciplines. We anticipate the need for experts in pulmonology, toxicology, epidemiology, biomedical device engineering, and polymer science. Physician experts in occupational & environmental medicine will also have a role since they are frequently involved in human exposure to toxic compounds.” Regardless of the trajectory of litigation, Bentley adds, “The most important thing right now is to focus on the health and safety of the millions of people affected by the recall. That means seeing a doctor and assuring that you have a safe device.”