Philips Recalls 73,000 Respirators

Philips Respironics has issued a recall for 73,000 ventilators due to the potential risk of obstruction by dirt and dust. Such obstructions could impede the air pathway within the device, potentially resulting in severe harm or even fatalities.

The presence of environmental debris within these ventilators holds the potential to manipulate key operational factors like air pressure, volume, and flow. Consequently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has highlighted concerns of hypoventilation or the accumulation of carbon dioxide and other gas pressures as potential outcomes.

As of August 14, Philips has amassed 542 reports pertaining to this issue. Importantly, no incidents involving injuries or fatalities have been reported within this timeframe.

The impacted ventilators include specific batches of the Trilogy Evo, Evo O2, EV300, and Evo Universal models. These units were distributed between March 2019 and March 2023.