Philips Recalls Faulty Ventilators, FDA Identifies Dust Issue As 'Most Serious'

Koninklijke Philips N.V. PHG is recalling several ventilators after detecting dust and dirt from the environment in the air path of some devices.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified the recall of Philips' respiratory machines as its most serious type, as their use could cause serious injuries or death.

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The Amsterdam-based company started the process on March 29 and has recalled 73,000 devices in the U.S.

In April, Philips recalled certain reworked DreamStations respiratory devices because some devices were assigned incorrect or duplicate serial numbers during initial programming.

The faulty ventilators — Respironics Trilogy Evo, Evo O2, EV300, and Evo Universal — are intended for pediatric through adult patients and used in hospitals and health care settings and for non-emergency transport. 

The Trilogy EV300 and Trilogy Evo may also be used by people requiring mechanical ventilation in their homes. 

Philips has received 542 reports about this issue, according to the FDA. The health agency said there are currently two reported injuries and one death attributable to the issue.

Price Action: PHG shares are up 0.48% at $21.13 during the premarket session on the last check Tuesday.

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