June 29, 2001
The Rufer Verdict
The following statement is for attribution to Dr. David Eschenbach, professor and acting chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington School of Medicine:
“We respect the jury’s efforts to make sense of the tragedy that occurred to Jennifer Rufer, her husband and their families. However, we are disappointed with the jury’s decision in this trial. We still firmly believe that this healthy young woman was harmed mainly because of a faulty laboratory test manufactured by Abbott Laboratories.
“The physicians who provided care for Jennifer Rufer at the University of Washington acted to save her life from what they originally believed to be a potentially fast-growing and fatal cancer that can be cured when it is detected and treated early. This cancer is diagnosed at its earliest stages using a standard laboratory test such as the one made by Abbott Laboratories. Neither Jennifer Rufer nor her doctors knew that the Abbott test had yielded a false positive result. These repeated false positive results misled doctors into thinking that Jennifer Rufer had cancer.
“Abbott should have warned physicians and laboratories about the false-positive problem with the Abbott B-hCG test. Had Abbott fixed the test or effectively warned about the dangers of the test, this tragedy would not have happened.
“While it is small consolation to the Rufers, all of us in the medical community, including companies who manufacture tests doctors need to help their patients, must renew our resolve to find every way possible to minimize the chance that something like this will happen again. This trial publicized what Abbott Laboratories should have accomplished by a simple mailing to physicians who hopefully now know that the Abbott B-hCG test can be falsely positive, and that this false result can lead to unnecessary treatment.
“Our hearts go out to Mr. and Mrs. Rufer and their families who have been touched by this tragedy.”
