Product Liability – FDA Requires Increase Warning For Yaz Blood Clot Risks
January 12, 2012
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A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted 21-5 to require drospirenone-containing birth control pills – including Yaz, Yasmin, Ocella, Beyaz, Safyral, and Vestura – to warn about increased risk of blood clots.
via Yaz Side Effects: FDA Requires Increase Warning For Yaz Blood Clot Risks | InjuryBoard Kansas City.
msnbc video: Panel: Benefits of ‘Yaz’ outweigh risks.
The 10 Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2011
January 7, 2012
I am posting this against my better judgment… but then again, this made me smile.
The top ten Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2011 are:
- Convict sues couple he kidnapped for not helping him evade police
- Man illegally brings gun into bar, gets injured in a fight, then sues bar for not searching him for a weapon
- Young adults sue mother for sending cards without gifts and playing favorites
- Woman disagrees with store over 80-cent refund, sues for $5 million
- Mom files suit against exclusive preschool over child’s college prospects
- Man suing for age discrimination says judge in his case is too old
- Obese man sues burger joint over tight squeeze in booths
- Woman sues over movie trailer; says not enough driving in “Drive”
- Passenger’s lawsuit says cruise ship went too fast and swayed from side to side
- Mother sues Chuck E. Cheese – says games encourage gambling in children
via The 10 Most Ridiculous Lawsuits of 2011 – Yahoo! News.
Wrongful Death – Personal Injury – Frivolous lawsuits Are Not The Issue – Carelessness Is.
January 3, 2012
We have heard so many tales of woes about how medical malpractice lawsuits are ruining the medical health of this country by making healthcare expensive for all and by causing the exodus of doctors from the so-called “judicial hellholes” (of which Illinois is supposedly one) toward States where there are limits on justice that a victim of a doctor’s carelessness can hope to obtain.
The problem with that proposition is that it is simply not true. What causes medical malpractice lawsuits are not patients and/or juries and their verdicts or lack of caps on those verdicts, but medical malpractice. The best way to prevent a lawsuit based on medical malpractice is to not commit carelessness.
Note that here, we are not talking about things that may go wrong in the natural progression of a treatment: there are times when a treatment goes wrong through no fault of the medical provider and/or the attending physician. Things may go wrong because Medicine is an art. What we are talking about here are actual damages caused to individuals that are the direct result of carelessness–that is different from simply not getting the intended result. For example, damages that could cause for failure of a doctor to simply read objective tests that are performed and that are ready to be reviewed but the doctor simply decides not to avail himself f the useful information those tests provides him. That is when medical malpractice lawsuits may be expected.
NYT: Doctors at Harlem Hospital Didn’t See Most Reports
Nearly 4,000 tests for heart disease performed over the last three years at Harlem Hospital Center – more than half of all such tests performed – were never read by doctors charged with making a diagnosis, hospital officials acknowledged Tuesday.
The echocardiogram tests, a type of ultrasound used to evaluate heart muscle and valve functions, were ordered by doctors at the hospital. The tests were stored on a computer and basically forgotten, officials said. The lapse occurred because the cardiology service at the hospital had developed a system by which technicians were given the responsibility to scan all tests and flag any that looked abnormal, so that they would be given priority when doctors read them.It appears, officials said, that the tests that were not flagged were put aside and forgotten.
The city’s Health and Hospitals Corporation, which runs the public hospital system, including Harlem Hospital, and Columbia University, whose medical school supplies the cardiologists who work at Harlem Hospital Center, acknowledged the problem in a joint statement on Tuesday, after being asked about it by The New York Times.
“While the process the doctors followed may have alerted cardiologists to those echocardiograms that were most likely to be abnormal, the failure to read the echocardiograms in a timely manner is inexcusable and may have placed patients at risk,” Alan D. Aviles, hospitals corporation president, said in the statement. It was unclear who developed the screening system, hospital officials said.
New Law – Back-seat Riders Required to Buckle Up
January 2, 2012
A good law is now in effect. If one is ridding in a moving vehicle, there are no reasons why all passengers should not be belted in and secured in their place. All unrestrained objects in a vehicle can become deadly projectiles in an accident and cause various levels of personal injuries if not death to themselves and/or others. It only makes sense that this law was passed.
One thing that is not clear, why passengers in taxi cabs and/or motor buses are exempt. Will the laws of physics not apply to those passengers if involved in a motor vehicle accident?
Just like unrestrained front-seat riders, back-seat passengers who aren’t buckled up during an accident can suffer head, chest and abdominal trauma.“ And they can be thrown from the vehicle,” said James Doherty, medical director of trauma and critical care programs at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Back-seat passengers also can become human projectiles during a crash, injuring or even killing others in the vehicle, he said.
Beginning Sunday January 1, 2012, Illinois will require all passengers, including previously exempt back-seat riders 18 and older, to buckle up. “It’s a good law,” New Lenox police Deputy Chief April DiSandro said. “It makes sense. If you have to be belted in the front seat, why not the back?
”The bill, which was sponsored by state Senate President John Cullerton D-Chicago and the late state Rep. Mark Beaubien R-Barrington Hills, was signed into law during the summer. It allows police officers to stop a car if they spot an unbuckled rider. Fines start at $25 but can be more, depending on court costs.
via Back-seat riders required to buckle up starting Sunday – Joliet Herald News.
Tips & Tricks – Tis The Season: Snow-Shoveling Injuries Appear Early
December 29, 2011
Dr. Peretz offers simple tips to get you through the winter without injury:
1. Warm up before you dig in: Youll do your back a favor if you warm up for five to ten minutes before shoveling or any strenuous activity. Get your blood moving with a brisk walk, jogging or marching in place, or running up the stairs. Then stretch your lower back and hamstrings the large muscles in the back of the thigh with some gentle stretching exercises.
2. Use the right shovel: The basic snow shovel hasnt changed much since it was invented over 100 years ago. Hand grips are often lacking and the shovel length is typically too short for most people, forcing the user to bend and twist while heaving snow. Also, the traditional steel shovel is heavy, adding to the weight – as much as 20 pounds per shovelful of snow – you are lifting. Newer, ergonomic snow shovels take some of the effort out of snow removal. They are typically made of lighter materials such as plastic or lightweight aluminum and feature a curved handle or adjustable handle length to reduce or eliminate bending.
3. Use proper shoveling technique: Whenever possible, push the snow aside instead of lifting it. If you must lift, follow these guidelines:
- Bend your knees and lift with your leg muscles – not your back!
- Avoid twisting; pivot your whole body to change direction.
- Do not throw snow over your shoulder.
- Keep each load light.
- If you must lift a full shovel, grip the shovel with one hand as close to the blade as comfortably possible and the other hand on the handle.
- Walk to a new location to deposit the snow; do not reach or toss.
4. Clear early and often: Its easier to clear a light layer than to wait until all the snow has fallen and its packed and heavy. In deep snow, remove a few inches off the top at a time rather than attempting to shovel the full depth at once.
5. Stay on your feet: Wear shoes or boots with good treads and spread sand, rock salt, or kitty litter on your sidewalk or driveway to increase traction and reduce the likelihood of slipping.
6. Take it easy: Take a break every 10-15 minutes; stand up straight, walk around, and drink water to avoid dehydration and overheating. Listen to your body; when it says “stop” STOP.
7. Consider a snow blower: When used correctly, a snow blower puts less stress on your lower back than shoveling. Use the power of your legs to push the snow blower while keeping your back straight and knees bent.
via Tis The Season: Snow-Shoveling Injuries Appear Early.
Personal Injury – Soft Tissue Injury: Conditions & Common Causes
December 28, 2011
By far the most common type of injuries we encounter are soft tissue injuries resulting from automobile car accidents, slip and falls, trip and falls and other traumatic events causing personal injuries in Chicago or Evanston.
Soft tissue injury is damage to four different types of tissue: muscles, ligaments, tendons or nerves.
Soft tissue injury is caused by direct or indirect trauma. Direct trauma may happen in connection with sports or other accidents, being struck by an object or falling. Indirect trauma commonly stems from overuse of the tissue. For instance, assembly line or factory workers often suffer from this type because of the many repetitive movements they have to do many times a day.
Types of soft issue injury
Soft tissue injuries include ligament sprains e.g. sprained ankle, tendon strains, repetitive stress injury and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Treatment
Immediately after the event causing the injury, you should use ice packs, rest, bandaging and elevation. You should see your doctor if you can’t move normally or if the pain and swelling are still present after a couple of days.
Treatment options might include:
- Physiotherapy exercises to promote healing, strength and flexibility
- Electrotherapy
- Manual techniques such as mobilization and massage
Information via Soft Tissue Injury: Conditions & Common Causes.
Insurance – U.S. Ranks Last Among High-Income Nations on Preventable Deaths
December 9, 2011
There is something disconcerting about the finding that the United States is last amongst comparable Nations when it comes to preventable deaths. That is, all other wealthy Nations do better than us when it comes to providing proper healthcare and treatment to those whose death could be potentially prevented by timely and effective treatment. This should be of concern!
sThe United States placed last among 16 high-income, industrialized nations when it comes to deaths that could potentially have been prevented by timely access to effective health care, according to a Commonwealth Fund–supported study that appeared online in the journal Health Policy this week and will be available in print on October 25th as part of the November issue. According to the study, other nations lowered their preventable death rates an average of 31 percent between 1997–98 and 2006–07, while the U.S. rate declined by only 20 percent, from 120 to 96 per 100,000. At the end of the decade, the preventable mortality rate in the U.S. was almost twice that in France, which had the lowest rate—55 per 100,000.
Preventable Death In “Variations in Amenable Mortality—Trends in 16 High Income Nations,” Ellen Nolte of RAND Europe and Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analyzed deaths that occurred before age 75 from causes like treatable cancer, diabetes, childhood infections/respiratory diseases, and complications from surgeries. They found that an average 41 percent drop in death rates from ischemic heart disease was the primary driver of declining preventable deaths, and they estimate that if the U.S. could improve its preventable death rate to match that of the three best-performing countries—France, Australia, and Italy—84,000 fewer people would have died each year by the end of the period studied.
via Healthcare-NOW! – U.S. Ranks Last Among High-Income Nations on Preventable Deaths.
Insurance – Healthcare – New Study Shows Health Insurance Premium Spikes in Every State
December 6, 2011
Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance have risen faster than incomes in every state in the nation, according to a report released Thursday.
The analysis of federal data by the Commonwealth Fund, an independent research organization, shed new light on the state-by-state picture while essentially confirming a national trend, highlighted in other recent surveys of employer-sponsored insurance, of greater premiums for skimpier benefits.
The District of Columbia had the highest annual total premiums, including both the employer’s and the worker’s share. In 2010, they averaged $5,644 for a single policy and $15,206 for a family version — a rise of 51 percent and 41 percent, respectively, since 2003.
But the costs were significant even in states with some of the lowest average rates, such as Alabama, where a single policy averaged $4,571 in total premiums and a family version reached $12,409. Maryland and Virginia were roughly in the middle of the pack.
“Although employees typically don’t see the total cost of their insurance, the sharp increase, in effect, means lower wages and salaries as employers make the trade-off between increasing wages and offering insurance,” said Cathy Schoen, a co-author of the study.
via New study shows health insurance premium spikes in every state – The Washington Post.
