U.S. COMPANY BAXTER COOPERATES CLOSELY WITH CRO. AUTHORITIES

WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Hina) - A representative of the United States company Baxter spoke to Hina on Monday in connection with the deaths of 23 haemodialysis patients in three hospitals in Zagreb, Slavonska Pozega, and Pula last week. "Baxter is collaborating closely with the Ministry of Health and the Croatian authorities to collect information from all available sources to better understand what role, if any, dialysers played in this tragic event," the company's director of external communications, Deborah Spak, told Hina. Croatian health authorities on Sunday banned the use of Baxter dialysers on suspicion that they are responsible for the tragedy. "In the interest of patients, we are encouraging the authorities to rigorously investigate all the potential causes of the death including the water, the dialysis machines, the drugs that patients received, disposables (including dialyser, blood lines, fistula needles), and dialysis solutions," said Spak. She recalled a recent examination of A-18 dialysers in the wake of the death of 18 patients in Spain last August. Independent testing confirmed the dialysers showed no malfunction and met the highest standards. "Currently there is no other product used in dialysis treatment that has been tested as intensively as our dialyser," Spak asserted. She said on Baxter's behalf the company would continue to cooperate closely with international and local health authorities to "identify the real cause of the deaths, and reassure trust of patients in their treatment." (hina) ha sb