The cochlear implant has been found to increase the risk of bacterial meningitis among pediatric patients that are not vaccinated for Streptococcus pneumoniae.

In addition, the Advanced Bionics and Boston Scientific CLARION and HiResolution (HiRes90K) cochlear implants have been found to be defective. To learn more about the defective cochlear implants, please follow the links below.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting cochlear implant induced bacterial meningitis and defective CLARION and/or HiResolution (HiRes90K) cochlear implant claims in all 50 states. If your child has developed bacterial meningitis or if you or somebody you know has been been the recipient of a defective cochlear implant, you should contact our law firm immediately for a free case consultation. Please click here to contact our Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Additional Resources:

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Cochlear Implant Page
  
• New England Journal of Medicine - Risk of Bacterial Meningitis in Children with Cochlear Implants

Cochlear Implant Safety Timeline:

• July 24, 2002 - FDA Public Health Web Notification: Risk of Bacterial Meningitis in Children with Cochlear Implants
  
• September 24, 2004 - Advanced Bionics Conducts Voluntary Recall of Cochlear Implants
  
• February 6, 2006 - Advice for Patients With Cochlear Implants: New Information on Meningitis Risk
  
• February 6, 2006 - FDA Public Health Notification: Continued Risk of Bacterial Meningitis in Children with Cochlear Implants with a Positioner Beyond Twenty-Four Months Post-Implantation
  
• October 10, 2007  - Advice for Patients with Cochlear Implants: New Information on Meningitis Risk
  
• October 10, 2007 - FDA Public Health Notification: Importance of Vaccination in Cochlear Implant Recipients

What is the Cochlear Implant?

A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The cochlear implant is often referred to as a bionic ear. Unlike hearing aids, the cochlear implant does not amplify sound, but works by directly stimulating any functioning auditory nerves inside the cochlea with an electric field. External components of the cochlear implant include a microphone, speech processor and an RF transducer or primary headpiece coil. A secondary coil is implanted beneath the skull’s skin and inductively coupled to the primary headpiece coil. The headpiece coil has a magnet by which it attaches to another magnet placed on the secondary coil often beside the cochlear implant. The implant relays the incoming signal to the implanted electrodes in the cochlea. The speech processor allows an individual to adjust the sensitivity of the device. The implant gives recipients additional auditory information, which may include sound discrimination fine enough to understand speech in quiet environments.

Cochlear Implant & Menengitis

Meningitis is an infection in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the brain and spinal cord. There are two types of meningitis – viral and bacterial. Bacterial meningitis, the more serious of the two, is the type reported in cochlear implant recipients. Patients younger than five years of age and the elderly are most vulnerable to meningitis.

Signs & Symptoms Menengitis

Early signs of cochlear implant induced meningitis include:

• high fever
• headache
• stiff neck
• nausea or vomiting
• discomfort looking into bright lights
• sleepiness or confusion

A young child or infant with meningitis might be sleepy, cranky, or eat less. Healthcare providers should consider meningitis in cochlear implant recipients when such symptoms exist and begin appropriate diagnostic testing and treatment as soon as possible.

Do I Have a Cochlear Implant Lawsuit?

Again, The Schmidt Firm, LLP is currently accepting cochlear implant induced bacterial meningitis and defective CLARION and/or HiResolution (HiRes90K) cochlear implant claims in all 50 states. If your child has developed bacterial meningitis or if you or somebody you know has been been the recipient of a defective cochlear implant, you should contact our law firm immediately for a free case consultation. Please click here to contact our Medical Device Litigation Group, use the form below or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.