A string of recent infections at outpatient oncology clinics has served as a sobering reminder to Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyers that these clinics need further regulation to prevent medical malpractice.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees.  The agency has just released new plans to reduce infection rates at outpatient oncology clinics.

Outpatient clinics are popular with patients because they offer much cheaper treatment than hospitals.  An estimated 1 million patients receive cancer treatment at outpatient centers every year. Approximately 50,000 cancer patients suffer an infection annually.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report based on an investigation of a hepatitis C outbreak at a New Jersey oncology clinic.  That outbreak left at least 29 patients with hepatitis C.  The epidemic was ultimately traced to the use of contaminated saline bags and single-dose medication vials.  Yet another infection outbreak at a Mississippi oncology clinic was linked to the reuse of needles.

It’s especially important to ensure that cancer patients are protected from infections.  These patients may be more susceptible to infections because of weakened immune systems.  This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has focused on reducing infection rates at these clinics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants patients to be aware of the infection risks that exist when appropriate sterilization and hygiene procedures are not followed.  The agency has set up a website called preventcancerinfections.org to educate cancer patients about these infection risks.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending proper administration of medications, hand hygiene, and safe injection practices in order to reduce infection rates at oncology clinics.

The CDC recently turned its attention to outpatient clinics, and in July, set guidelines for the prevention of infections in outpatient surgical centers and pain management clinics.

Doctors at the Royal Glasgow Infirmary have successfully used an ultrasound device to treat serious fractures much more quickly.  The doctors report that the devices were used in the successful treatment of complicated and multiple fractures.

The device is strapped to the broken bone, allowing the bone to benefit from the ultrasound waves.  These waves trigger regeneration of new bone cells, hasten cell maturity, and accelerate the healing process.  The device destroys bacteria that can cause infections.

This is a relatively painless and convenient therapy that speeds up the process of healing a fracture by as much as 40%.  Researchers have successfully used the therapy to treat fractures that were believed to be untreatable.  Some of these cases involve multiple fractures, involving an initial prognosis that the broken bone could not be mended and the leg had to be amputated.  With the use of the ultrasound device, the multiple fractures healed quickly.  The treatment is expensive right now, but there is reason to hope that the treatment will become more affordable as the use of the ultrasound device increases.

That could mean quicker and more convenient treatment for hundreds of thousands of people who suffer broken bones in auto accidents, trip and fall accidents and workplace accidents every year.  For people who suffer from serious and complex fractures, the device could also offer alternatives to more drastic measures like amputation.

The significance of the fact that this treatment has been perfected at the Royal Glasgow Infirmary is not lost on Los Angeles serious injury lawyers.  Glasgow was the birthplace of ultrasound more than fifty years ago.  A team of specialists then successfully reproduced images of the human body using sonar.  Ultrasound is currently used successfully for diagnosis, especially for prenatal monitoring.

A medical error by a replacement nurse at an Oakland hospital is being blamed for the death of a cancer patient.  The victim, a 66-year-old woman had been receiving treatment for cancer at the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland since July.

According to Oakland police, the woman’s death was caused when a replacement nurse at the facility administered the wrong dosage of medication.  There is no information about what type of drug it was, and what dosage should have been administered.  Doctors and other staff in the hospital were unable to revive the patient.

The hospital has confirmed that the death was caused because of the nurse’s medical error, and has apologized.  Several investigations by state, local and federal agencies are already underway.  The nurse has already been questioned by local police.

According to authorities, the nurse had come to work at the hospital from another state.  She was brought in after a recent one-day nurse’s strike led to temporary staffing with replacement nurses.  The nurses’ strike affected hospitals across northern and central California.  The six hospitals run by Sutter Health, including the Oakland facility had been impacted by the strike.  Many nurses had been locked out for at least five days since the strike.

Medication errors are some of the most frequent medical errors that California medical malpractice lawyers come across.  According to the Food and Drug Administration, between 44,000 and 90,000 deaths occur every year in American hospitals due to medical errors.  It is estimated that as many as 7,000 deaths from medication errors can be prevented.  Most medication errors in American hospitals occur during the prescribing and administering stages.  Errors frequently occur because of miscommunication of drug orders, lack of available medication information, lack of correct labeling, provider fatigue and other causes.

A federally funded program to reduce fatal motorcycle accidents in California seems to have been successful. According to the California Highway Patrol, there has been a decline in the number of accidents involving motorcyclists last year.

Preliminary data for last year from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records shows the number of people killed in motorcycle accidents in California in 2010 declined by 9% from the previous year. The number of injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents also declined by 8.5% compared to 2009.

The motorcycle safety campaign was spearheaded by the California Highway Patrol, and was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Transportation sent out a “Share the Road” message through the campaign. The campaign involved displays of the message Share the Road-Look Twice for Motorcyclists on highway signs across the state. Additionally, the California Highway Patrol conducted several presentations encouraging motorists to look out for motorcyclists, and carried out enforcement initiatives.

These efforts seem to have been successful in reducing motorcycle accidents in California, primarily because they have focused on encouraging motorists to look out for motorcyclists. Most motorcycle accidents that Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers come across occur because motorists do not see motorcyclists, or fail to look out for them. Not seeing a motorcyclist is hardly an excuse for inaction, with the increasing number of motorcyclists on our roads and highways. It is a motorist’s responsibility to look out for motorcyclists especially closely at intersections, and in the blind spots of their vehicle. Motorcycles may be easy to miss because of their slim frame, which is all the more reason why drivers must be more alert.

Treatment options for brain injury patients are extremely limited.  In most cases, all that doctors can do to increase a patient’s chances of recovery is to limit the severity of the injury by beginning treatment as quickly as possible.  For this, it is necessary that doctors diagnose the injury quickly.  That diagnosis may speed up in the near future.  The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center last week began using a new imaging device that includes whole body simultaneous positron emission topography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a single device.

The device is called a Biograph mMR, and it promises to offer a more complete picture of abnormal metabolic activity in a shorter period of time.  The center purchased the device through the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, a collaborative effort between the National Institutes of Health and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.  The Center for New Sciences and Regenerative Medicine Cabazon conducts research into TBI treatment at the Walter Reed National Navy Medical Center in Maryland.

According to officials at the National Institutes of Health, the new device combines the powerful diagnostic abilities of both MRI scans and PET scans.  The MRI scanner points doctors to existing abnormalities, while the PET scan informs doctors about the metabolic activity of that particular abnormality.

According to doctors, this will greatly enhance diagnoses times.  With quicker diagnosis will come better turnaround and faster treatment of patients.  With this device, a brain injury can be diagnosed in the earliest stages of the injury, before excessive bleeding causes long-term damage.  The National Institutes of Health believes the new device will quicken the diagnosis of brain injury not just among veterans, but also in the civilian population.

Traumatic brain injury is one of the most serious injuries occurring in motorcycle accidents.  A helmet can protect a motorcyclist to some degree, but every year, Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers find thousands of helmeted motorcyclists with severe brain injuries that result in long-term debilitation.  Quicker diagnosis of these injuries could mean a better chance for a full recovery.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun an investigation into service jack failures involving the Ford Freestyle and Mercury Monterey minivans.  At least one person has been confirmed dead from the failure of a jack that was sold with these cars.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem likely involves jacks on more than 205,000 minivans.  These minivans were manufactured in the 2004 and 2005 model years.  According to the agency’s preliminary investigations, the failure involves jacks that were part of the spare tire kits in these cars.

The agency’s preliminary investigations have found that the jack can fail at the hinge joints.  The joints may become separated due to the weight of the vehicle, and the jack can collapse.  One person has been confirmed killed in an accident involving a jack failure.  The man was working under his minivan with a jack supporting the vehicle.  Suddenly, the jack gave way, causing the vehicle to collapse on him

In all, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has received five complaints from owners of these cars.  The agency has also received one report from the automaker that shows that the jacks failed while in use.

This is an investigation, and Los Angeles personal injury lawyers cannot guarantee that any recall will be announced after the investigation is complete.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may initiate several such investigations every year, and not all of them lead to a recall of the car.  However, if the agency finds in an investigation that there is enough reason to be concerned, then it will work together with the automaker to announce a recall.

However, while the investigation is on, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking vehicle owners not to use the jack for any purpose other than changing tires.

During a two-month period in May and June, there were three highway worker fatalities in the state of California.  In all, four highway workers have died in accidents this year.  Those numbers have been high enough to alarm highway workers, their families and Los Angeles car accident lawyers.

The California Department of Transportation has made it clear that it intends to take highway worker safety more seriously.  The agency is now collaborating with the California Highway Patrol, and is adding more officers to construction zones to coax drivers into slowing down. The California Highway Patrol hopes that the presence of officers and vehicles in construction zones will encourage motorists to slow down and look out for highway workers.

Many workers are at risk from cars barreling down these zones at high speeds or under the influence of alcohol.  It is these kinds of drivers that the California Highway Patrol wants to target.  The agency will put extra officers in some of these zones, and even additional vehicles if necessary.  Drivers who are caught speeding through a construction zone will be ticketed.

However, this is a temporary campaign, and once these vehicles and officers are out of a zone, motorists are simply likely to flout the rules again.  The “Move Over” law requires drivers to move to an adjacent lane for parked emergency vehicles as well as California Department of Transportation vehicles displaying their warning lights.  The law on its own has not prevented a spike in fatalities involving highway workers, resulted in this new initiative.

With massive highway reconstruction and repair work being conducted across California, motorists need to be more vigilant than ever.  There are currently at least 800 highway construction projects in progress in California.  With massive highway construction work across California, hundreds of workers are likely to be at risk from reckless motorists.

Medical malpractice is a personal injury specialty that requires the utmost of specificity and detail-oriented work by the practicing attorney. Medical malpractice cases arise when the attending physician or healthcare provider is professionally negligent in patient treatment, resulting in injury or death. This usually entails a breach of medical protocol. Broadly speaking, physicians are held to the highest standard of care and if there is a lack of adherence to the customary and proper treatment, the physician may be held liable for malpractice.

Because of the complexity of the human body, there are practically limitless possibilities of wrongdoing within the medical malpractice field. One of the more common areas results from reactions to prescription drugs. Drugs may have been incorrectly prescribed, or there may have been unexpected, unknown harmful side effects. This may be a result of defective drug manufacturing or design by the pharmaceutical manufacturer. There is potential for product liability cases in these circumstances. Sometimes when large enough numbers of people are harmed or are potentially at risk, the product is recalled. Manufacturers have been known to pay extremely high sums of money in damages – although there are sometimes statutory limitations that cap the actual amount of damages to individuals.

Malpractice may result from acts of commission or acts of omission. When a medical professional performs a procedure that results in harming the patient or retarding the patient’s normal recovery time, it is known as an act of commission. This may include improper diagnosis and incorrect treatment, or inaccurate interpretation of laboratory results and improper prescription of medication. Acts of omission may also occur as a result of misdiagnosis. Lack of proper diagnosis may result in severe health problems, including the ultimate price, death. One such example is the failure to properly diagnosis a cancerous biopsy.

One of the areas of personal injury that may be directly or indirectly related to medical malpractice is elder and nursing home abuse. Nursing home abuse is, unfortunately, a growing area of concern that is often indirectly related to economic conditions. Nursing homes may be providing limited or improper treatment due to understaffing and inferior staffing, often due to budget cuts and inadequate funding. Elderly patients are often scared to speak to their loved ones about their situation due to fear of retaliation by nursing home staff. They are often found with bedsores, sleeping in unclean bedding, dressed with unchanged bandages, and living in unsanitary or inferior living conditions, despite promises and guarantees of excellence during patient intake. These are some of the most abhorrent offenses and must be rectified by insightful family visitors who understand that they have personal and legal rights and that there are legal remedies to be pursued.

While it might seem absolutely inexplicable, it is not uncommon for surgical devices and instruments to be left in the patient’s body during surgery. This unimaginable medical blunder can cause permanent injury or worse – death may result from puncturing vital organs. Infections may occur as a result of failure to remove surgical gauze and sponges. This type of medical malpractice case is quite the obvious act of commission. Personal injury attorneys who handle medical malpractice cases have the expertise needed to address any of the matters mentioned herein.

Definition of Personal Injury

Personal injury covers a lot of different types of situations that may arise in life. The injuries can be physical or psychological. A person can suffer personal injury for various reasons and claim compensation for damage when their injuries have been inflicted by others directly or indirectly. Personal injury law refers to damage sustained by actual persons and not to belongings or property, as a result of action by another party. It can be broadly classified in two categories – negligence and intentional.

Causes of Personal Injury

Personal injury may happen at work place while working with hazardous elements or under dangerous conditions. A worker may be subjected to mental stress, harassments and discrimination, triggering work place accidents or mental illness. Victims of a crime, car accidents and sexually abused people find it hard to recover from the mental and physical injury. Personal injury may also happen due to the use of defective drugs or wrong treatment. Accidents on road, ranging from car accidents, motorcycle accidents to tripping over debris in a parking lot may cause an injury due to Negligence. Negligence in above cases can arise from an employer, doctor or drivers on the road.

Actions You Can Take If You’ve Been Injured

Nature of the action that should be followed depends on the type of personal injury. When the injury takes place or triggers from work place then appropriate authority should be informed in details. In some cases government agencies need to be informed of the situation. Incidences of road accidents should be immediately reported to police and insurance companies. Personal injury caused by wrongful treatment should be reported to the authorities and/or doctors. It is crucial to gather and preserve evidence that triggered or caused the injury to the person. Such evidence is essential while taking legal actions or claiming compensation for the injury.

Legal Guidance From an Attorney

Lawyers specializing in dealing with personal injury claims should be consulted for building a strong case. There are defined time limits for filing claims or taking legal actions so it is important to talk with someone early on.

Why those younger than 65-years old choose hip replacement surgery and face unique choices when replacing a recalled implant.

More than 277,000 total hip replacements were performed in 2008, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, an increase of 78% from 1998. While most patients are older than 65, surgeons are seeing an increase in patients between the ages of 40-64, likely due to our increasingly active lifestyles.  In 1998, 27% of hip replacement patients were younger than 65, in 2008 that percentage rose to 40%.

Patients under 60 often choose hip replacement surgery to improve their quality of life, reduce chronic pain, and maintain a fitness regimen. However, younger patients who choose hip replacement implants run the risk of needing revision surgery due to eventual failure of the hip implant over time. If the hip implant that was initially chosen is recalled an additional surgery, along with the associated risks, may also be necessary.

The DePuy ASR hip replacement implant recall has brought to light the dangers involved with faulty devices. Symptoms experienced from a defective hip replacement implant can vary based on the patient’s age and may include:

• Swelling,
• Weight-bearing pain
• Clicking, popping or grinding at the joint
• Elevated chromium and/or cobalt levels in the bloodstream
• Difficulty walking short distances

In just a few short months, it has become apparent that nearly 100,000 hip replacement patients may be subject to a recall of their metal-on-metal hip implants. The Hip Recall Registry (www.hiprecallregistry.com) was developed in 2010 to communicate critical information regarding recalls and warnings from the FDA and hip implant manufacturers. Patients can sign up to receive automated messages concerning specific hip replacement implants.