Posted on May 28, 2014 in Uncategorized

A new study reveals that the majority of medical devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on children have only been tested on adults 18 years or older, with no testing done on children.

The study was conducted by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, with the results published in Pediatrics. Researchers examined pediatric medical devices that were approved by the FDA between the years 2008 and 2011. There were 25 devices that have been approved for patients 21 years old or younger. Eleven of those devices hadn’t been tested on anyone under the age of 21 years old. And only four of those devices had actually been tested on people less than 18 years of age. To compound the problem, only three of the devices were approved to be used on anyone under the age of 18 years old. The other 22 devices were only approved by the FDA to be used on patients between the ages of 18 to 21 years of age, however these devices are routinely used physicians “off-label” in teenagers and young children since there are no alternative devices that have been approved for those age groups. The study also revealed that despite the FDA adding stipulations to the approval requiring the manufacturers to hold post-market testing, they only required three of these companies to include children in those tests. None of these tests have been completed. In a statement, one of the study’s authors wrote, “Children are not simply ‘small adults,’ and a device found to be safe and effective in adults may have a very different safety and effectiveness profile when used in a pediatric population. Without this data, it is difficult for clinicians and parents to make informed treatment decisions that weigh the risks and benefits of a particular treatment.” If you or someone in your family has been injured by the improper use of a medical device, or the use of a defective or unsafe device, contact an experienced New Braunfels personal injury attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for pain and loss.

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 Posted on May 23, 2014 in Uncategorized

A new study by Scottish researchers from Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow has revealed that adults who are hospitalized with minor head injuries are at almost twice the risk of dying within fifteen years of their injury than someone with no head injury.

Many studies have proven that there is a high risk of death subsequent to a severe head injury, but until now, there had not been a significant amount of research on the effects of minor head injuries. The study’s results were published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, but the researchers are not sure whether it’s long-term effects from the injury or lifestyle that causes the risk to double.

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 Posted on May 19, 2014 in Uncategorized

There have been various issues regarding driving impaired when it comes to alcohol and prescription drugs. The detection systems for both are relatively straight forward. However, as reported by The State, many states are having a hard time setting measures when it comes the impairment from marijuana use, especially since impaired driving has been linked to car accidents.

This has been quite the quandary for lawmakers all over the country in the wake of the legalization of marijuana use for medical reasons and in some areas for personal use. Many lobbyists have touted the positive effects of marijuana usage and have stated that it is far safer than alcohol, which is legal.

In one particular case, a young lady was killed in Seattle when she was hit by a vehicle while driving to work. When the driver was tested, his blood toxicology showed a positive result for marijuana. A professor at the University of California has been quoted as saying, “The answer is: Pretty …stoned is not as dangerous as drunk.”

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 Posted on May 17, 2014 in Uncategorized

As if there is any more reason to worry about weight, according to coverage by Medpage Today, a higher BMI can increase the length of time that a person experiences neck pain after a car accident. Researchers have reported that neck pain continued to endure into the 6 month mark if the person is obese.

Based on the research findings, when a morbidly obese person was examined at the time of the accident, at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year, the patients still complained of pain. The medical records of over 900 people were examined as a part of these studies. The studies also showed that an increased body mass index also affected other regions of the body that experienced pains. It was also found that there were not enough people who were underweight that could be assessed because there were not enough people that fit into that category to have a reliable result.

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 Posted on May 12, 2014 in Uncategorized

A new study conducted by doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has concluded that women who take antidepressants during their second and third trimesters may have an increased risk of preterm birth.

A preterm birth is one that occurs at least three weeks before a baby’s due date. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the earlier a baby is born, the more severe health problems can be. Some of the more serious health problems of babies who are born prematurely include cerebral palsy, breathing or respiratory issues, feeding and digestive issues, intellectual disabilities, visual and hearing loss.

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 Posted on May 09, 2014 in Uncategorized

The Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released a national report on nursing homes. According to the report, almost one third of nursing home patients are injured by treatments they received in nursing homes. The majority of those injuries are avoidable.

The study found that the majority of problems could be contributed to deficiencies in the day-to-day care that the facilities provided. Not providing enough attention to details of the care patients need as well as monitoring the patients’ needs – what one inspector referred to as “substantial medical care.”

The agency looked at the medical records of 653 Medicare patients who had been admitted into a nursing home for additional care after having been in the hospital. The average stay at the nursing home facility was 35 days or less.

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 Posted on May 03, 2014 in Uncategorized

As the warm weather approaches, many people take to enjoying spending time outdoors. Many homeowners have decks built on their homes where they often entertain friends and family. And many restaurants and nightclubs also have outdoor decks built where their customers can sit.

But how safe are these decks? According to statistics gathered by home inspectors, out of the two million decks that are built nationwide each year, only 40 percent are actually safe.

There are multiple incidents of people being injured because of decks collapsing. Many of these injuries were critical ones and there have sadly also been fatalities in some of these incidents. But many of these accidents could have been prevented if the deck was built properly.

One of the most common reasons for a deck collapsing is that the attachment of the deck to the house or building has been done incorrectly. Many of these decks are attached using bolts with smooth heads instead of “thru” bolts. Thru bolts are galvanized and are installed so they go from the exterior wall of the building/house directly into the supports of the deck. Owners of decks also need to consistently inspect the deck to make sure that everything is intact, especially after a long winter. Look under the deck to make sure that all nuts and bolts are in place. Signs of the wood rotting, such as mold or dampness, are an indicator that the wood is weakening and needs to be replaced. Other problems to look for are any splits and cracks around nails. And don’t forget to check railings of the deck to make sure they’re bolted down securely. If you have been injured in an accident caused by a property owner’s negligence, contact a New Braunfels personal injury attorney to find out what compensation you may be entitled to for any pain and loss you have suffered.

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 Posted on April 29, 2014 in Uncategorized

The Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse is currently one of the most popular toys available. Fisher-Price markets the toy as the perfect companion to help babies sleep. When the stuffed animal is hugged, its belly glows and it begins playing lullabies. The company recommends the product for children between the ages of six months to four years old.

However, despite reports of the stuffed animal smoking and even one report of the toy actually catching on fire, Fisher-Price refuses to issue a recall. There are currently over two dozen complaints on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) SaferProducts website. In addition to the formal complaints to the CPSC, many online websites that sell the product have hundreds of negative reviews written by parents who purchased the toy and had similar experiences to those who have filed complaints. Parents have complained about the battery chamber heating up and smoke coming out of the coils. This appears to be a frequent occurrence when the batteries are changed, although many incidents occurred randomly, without a change of batteries.

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 Posted on April 25, 2014 in Uncategorized

According to statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vehicle crashes were the number one cause of accidental deaths for children 14 years and younger in 2012, with 1,100 lives lost. Another 176,000 children were injured. Sadly, despite increase use and awareness, many of those young victims were not restrained in child seats properly.

The CDC numbers show that infant car seats reduce the risk of death in car crashes by 71 percent for infants. The risk for toddlers, ages 1 to 4 years old, is reduced by 54 percent when properly restrained in child safety seats. For children ages 4 to 8, booster seats can reduce their risk by 45 percent.

The CDC also recommends that children under the age of 12 always sit in the back of the vehicle. Airbags that go off can kill a young child. It’s also critical that a rear-facing infant car seat never be placed in the front seat or in front of an airbag. The safest place for the child to be buckled in is the middle back seat.

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 Posted on April 22, 2014 in Uncategorized

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there were 460 fatalities of people riding motorcycles or scooters in accidents on Texas roads in 2012. That was done from the 488 fatalities in 2011. But that is still too many losses.

Texas has implemented the ‘Share the Road’ campaign as a way to remind all drivers to be aware of motorcyclists and urges everyone to ‘Look Twice’ while on the road. TxDOT urges drivers to keep checking your mirrors for motorcycles and always use turn signals. And if you are driving near a motorcycle, remember to give them enough space, allowing them enough time to react if traffic situations should arise.

The TxDOT also offers safety tips for motorcyclist. The agency urges all riders to wear a helmet and other protective gear. They recommend driving with your headlights on at all times and at safe speeds. Also try to avoid the center of a lane as this is where oil and debris build up, which could be dangerous. Whether you are a brand new rider or an experienced one, take a motorcycle riding course to help reinforce safety rules and techniques.

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