Approximately 88% of all upper arm fractures are caused in slip and fall accidents, and senior citizens above the age 65 comprise a major section of the population at risk of such fractures.  In fact, according to new research, the number of baby boomers who are at risk of upper arm fractures, or humerus fractures, is likely to increase as the population of persons above the age of 65 increases.

According to the research, by the year 2030, the number of such upper arm fractures could increase by nearly 1/3^rd.  The researchers looked at approximately 28,000,000 ER visits in 2008, and found 300,000 cases of upper arm fractures.  While children between the age of 5 and 9 did comprise the highest number of such fractures, senior citizens also constituted a fair amount of upper arm fractures.

Seniors are at a special risk for upper arm fractures, because these fractures are typically caused in slip and fall accidents.  Seniors may be at a high risk of slipping, tripping and falling, because of age-related conditions, like reduced vision, poor coordination and poor body balance.  Additionally, seniors may suffer from reduced bone mineral density, a condition called osteoporosis that also increases their fracture risks.

As the number of persons above 65 increases, Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers expect to see a huge section of the population that is at a high risk for such debilitating upper arm fractures.  This is the reason why there needs to be greater focus on reducing fall hazards among senior citizens.  That includes not just fall hazards in the home, but also those in nursing homes, as well as commercial spaces.

Seniors now don’t just live longer lives than their parents did, but also more active ones.  This means increased senior pedestrian traffic in places like hotels, restaurants, malls and other commercial spaces.  Owners of these properties need to take senior fall accident hazards into consideration in the design and construction stages.

The conventional belief is that children who have suffered a traumatic brain injury are much more likely to bounce back from the injury because their brains are still developing and more ‘elastic’ than adult brains.  However, that might not be so true after all.  According to new research by Australian scientists, children who have suffered from a brain injury may suffer repercussions from the injury for years after.  In fact, some children may never completely recover.

The Australian researchers examined the intellectual abilities, social skills and behavioral skills of children after a brain injury. The children were monitored for a period of 10 years after they suffered head injuries.  The children had been injured in slip and fall accidents, bicycle accidents are auto accidents.

The researchers found that complete recovery could be expected in children who had suffered a mild brain injury.  However, in the case of children who had suffered severe brain injuries, recovery was much slower, and lifelong effects were common. Children with a severe brain injury were much more likely to have problems with thinking skills, and impaired IQ levels after the injury.

Overall, according to the researchers, children do recover better than adults do after a traumatic brain injury.  The younger the child is, the better the recovery patterns.  The site of the injury is also important in determining the speed of recovery.  When the injury is concentrated in an isolated site, the recovery is possibly better than when the entire brain is injured.

The researchers found that even among children who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, the recovery depended on the environment.  Children who were exposed to rehabilitation therapy were much more likely to make substantial strides towards a complete recovery, compared to children who did not have such benefits.  This indicates to Orlando car accident lawyers the importance of continuing rehabilitation programs for children with a brain injury for long after.

Asthmatic pregnant women, who are taking medications for their condition, may have a slightly higher risk of having babies with rare birth defects.  That’s according to new research published in Journal Pediatrics.  However, the researchers hasten to add that the increased risk is only slight, and that there are no firm conclusions about the cause of the defects.

Overall, according to the researchers, pregnant women who took the asthma medication in the month before they conceived and right through the 3rd month of pregnancy seemed to be at a slightly higher risk of delivering babies with birth defects.  The defects that were noticed were relatively rare, and included incomplete development of the esophagus, intestines sticking out of the belly button, and missing opening of the anus.

These are extremely rare defects, but the use of antiasthma medications including steroids and bronchodilators seemed to increase their risk slightly in some women.

Overall, the researchers say that they do not know whether the slightly increased risk of asthma is due to the medications themselves or the intensity of the asthma.  He researchers do not recommend that pregnant women stop taking their medications because of the results of the study.  They say that there is no firm conclusion to prove that the medication is linked to the increased risk of birth defects.  However, they don’t completely discount the possibility that the medication could cause a slight increase in birth defect risks.  As of now, researchers say that they are not in a position to completely confirm the safety of these medications.

California product liability attorneys would recommend that pregnant women continue to take their asthma medications, and keep the doctor informed about their condition.

Concerned parents of children who have been admitted into the local ICU may have much to worry about.  A study by Consumer Reports finds that pediatric ICUs have much higher infection rates than adult ICUs.

Researchers from Consumer Reports focused on 98 pediatric intensive care units in 31 states across the country.  These pediatric intensive care units reported their infection data.  The researchers found that pediatric ICUs had infection rates that were at least 20% higher than the national rate for adult ICUs.

Pediatric ICUs had a rate of 1.8 bloodstream infections for every 1000 days the children were on central lines.  In comparison, adult ICUs have a national average of 1.5 bloodstream infections for every 1000 days adults were hooked on a central line.  In some of the pediatric ICU’s, the infection rates were as high as 7.2.  That is higher than the national average infection rates in adult ICUs.

Out of the 98 pediatric intensive care units in the study, Consumer Reports researchers found that only 5 pediatric intensive care units reported zero infection rates in 2010.

According to Consumer Reports, the data came from pediatric intensive care units and hospitals that report infection data.  Arizona medical malpractice lawyers find that there is reason to be concerned about infection rates at hospitals that choose not to report infection data.

Parents can reduce the chances of infections in their children by working together with the ICU staff to keep the central line and catheters clean and sterilized.  Parents must read up on the best practices for avoiding deadly central line-associated bloodstream infections, and make sure that hospitals are following these practices.  Parents can also help ensure that visitors and hospital staff keep their hands clean when visiting or attending to a child.

New clinical trials that have just commenced at 5 hospitals in the U.K. will investigate the effect of the female sex hormone progesterone on persons with a traumatic brain injury.  The trials are part of an international study into the use of the female sex hormone in the treatment of patients who have suffered a brain injury in motorcycle accidents and other types of accidents.  Similar trials have been conducted in the United States too, and have found substantially higher healing rates among persons who were administered the hormone.

The researchers in this trial will use a synthetic version of the progesterone hormone called progestin.  One group of subjects in the study will be administered the hormones, while the other group will be given a placebo.  The researchers want to compare the healing rates between the two groups.

More than 1,200 people across the world are taking part in the international study called SyNAPSe, and results are not expected until at least 2-3 years.  The researchers believe that the progesterone hormone contains healing properties that protect the brain cells after injury.  This helps limit the extent of the injury, thereby accelerating the process of recovery.  Researchers say that they are being cautious about the results of the trial, but are optimistic.

If the trials are successful, then Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers believe this opens up a brand-new avenue for treatment of traumatic brain injury.  There have been no major advances in brain injury treatment, although there are a number of experimental studies in varying degrees of research, many of them being funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Persons who are involved in a motorcycle accident may be at an especially high risk of traumatic brain injury.  The risk of injury can be reduced, but not completely eliminated by wearing motorcycle helmets.

New research out of the UK suggests that the driving skills of persons, who are driving with a heavy cold, could be just as bad as those who are driving under the influence of alcohol.  It’s a small study, and it’s hard to tell exactly how much credence Los Angeles car accident lawyers should place on these results, but it’s an interesting theory.

The researchers used a device to measure a motorist’s speed, braking and other factors when he was driving with a cold.  They found that having a cold affected a driver’s motoring abilities almost as much as if he had been driving under the influence.   In short, the motorist’s reaction times were slowed, responses were delayed, and judgment was impacted.  These motorists had a much lower awareness of their surroundings than other drivers, and were much more likely to brake suddenly.

Additionally, motorists with a cold had their accident risks bumped up, because sneezing causes a person to shut his eyes briefly, and takes attention away from the road for a few seconds.  Also, these persons could be at a serious risk of a auto accidents if they are driving after taking over-the-counter cough and cold formulations.  These medications can increase drowsiness.

It may be a small study, but UK police are warning that persons suffering from a cold avoid driving altogether.  In fact, they even believe that persons driving with a cold should be prosecuted.

Even with all the automation in your car, driving is a task that requires 100% of your attention.  A heavy cold or symptoms of flu can undoubtedly impact concentration, increase feelings of irritability and induce lethargy, all impacting your driving skills.  Driving under the influence of flu therefore may be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the year 2010, not only were more people binge drinking, but they were also drinking more alcoholic beverages per session of binging than the previous year.

In 2009, the prevalence of binge drinking among American adults was about 15.2%, and that percentage had increased to 17.1% in 2010.  In 2010, approximately one out of every 6 adults admitted to binge drinking, and during the average binge drinking session, knocked back at least 8 alcoholic beverages.  That number is much higher than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Los Angeles car accident lawyers had earlier believed.

Binge drinking is considered to be the consumption of at least 5 alcoholic beverages by males.  Among women, binging is defined as the consumption of 4 alcoholic drinks.  However, what the CDC research suggests is that the number of drinks being consumed in a single session is actually much higher.

The CDC analysis collected data from more than 450,000 telephone surveys conducted across the country.  The highest binge drinking rates were found in Wisconsin with a rate of 25.6 %, and the lowest rates were found in Utah and West Virginia where the rate was 10.9%.

Young adults and white males were more likely to drink excessive amounts of alcohol.  More than 23% of the men in the survey admitted to binge drinking on at least one occasion over the last month.  In comparison, 11.4% of women admitted to binge drinking over the last 30 days.

The public safety concerns from any increase in binge drinking in Los Angeles are immense.  When a person drinks excessive amounts of alcohol, his chances of being involved in a serious alcohol-related accident increase dramatically.

It’s always a matter of concern to Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyers when some of the country’s most renowned hospitals are found to be reckless in their operations.  Health inspectors who conducted a survey of UC Irvine Medical Center have found issues with the way that drug infusion pumps are being used by hospital staff.

The inspection was triggered after officials at the hospital reported that a kidney disease patient had died after he received excessive medication from a drug infusion pump.   A review conducted by internal and external physicians found that the excessive medication was not responsible for the patient’s death.  However, during the inspection, the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did find several problems in the way that the drug infusion pumps are being operated in the hospital.

For instance, they found that adequate staff training was not being provided before the drug infusion pumps were used.  Patients were being administered medications through the drug infusion pumps without staff members knowing how to use these properly.  Further, the hospital had neglected to establish strong safety procedures for the proper use of these infusion pumps.  According to UC Irvine Medical Center, its staff has been properly trained to operate the pumps.

The death of the patient, which occurred in July, was linked to the fact that he received 100 mg of thymoglobulin over a period of just one hour, instead of the recommended 6-hour period.  In this case, the pump had not been properly programmed to prevent excessive medication from being released.  The doctor administered the excessive dosage, but according to health inspectors, the pump should have been properly programmed to prevent excessive medication from being released.  In this case, the safeguards that were in place to prevent excessive medication from being released, were not set up properly, and failed.

There was another incident that occurred in June, in which a patient received more than 30 times the prescribed dose of medication because the pump was not properly set up.  In that case fortunately, the patient survived.

A new study by researchers from Syracuse University in New York has both good and bad news for seniors.  The bad news is that senior citizens who are obese may be at a higher risk of a slip and fall accident than normal weight individuals.  The good news is that some obese individuals may be at a lower risk of serious injuries in a fall.

Obese people may be at a higher risk of a fall, because they have difficulties in balance, and may be less capable of blocking or stopping a fall.  However, seniors who are severely obese, or have a BMI of 40 or higher, may have a lower risk of fractures and other serious injuries during a fall accident.  These people have extra padding on the body that can cushion them from serious injuries.  The additional protection from fractures and serious injuries in a fall accident do not seem to apply to seniors who are moderately obese.

But seniors who are severely obese and are injured seriously enough to require hospitalization may recover much slower.  These people are in a poor medical condition, and may suffer from a number of other conditions like hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease that lower their chances of recovering quickly.

San Fernando Valley slip and fall accident lawyers conclude from this study that even though severely obese adults enjoy some form of protection against serious injuries like fractures in fall accidents, the overall health risks for these people after a fall accident are too serious to ignore.  Seniors must maintain optimum weight, and exercise regularly to maintain bone health and prevent disability and falls.  Eliminate fall hazards from the home, like floors that can trip you.  Install railings and grab bars in bathrooms to prevent falls.

New trucking work hour rules released by the Department of Transportation limit the number of hours that a driver can drive in a week, but do not reduce the maximum number of hours that can be driven in a day, as Los Angeles truck accident lawyers had hoped.

The new rules were released last week by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and while they do contain a few concessions to trucking safety, they fall severely short of the kind of trucking safety rules that Los Angeles truck accident attorneys had been looking for.  For instance, the current 11-hour rule will continue to stand, against calls by trucking safety groups to reduce them to 10 hours in a 14 hour window.  According to the feds, the current rule has worked fine for the industry, and has not been found to increase the risk of fatigue-related accidents.

However, the feds have also limited the number of hours that a truck driver can drive in a week to 70 hours, down from the current 82 hours.  The rule also makes a provision for truck drivers to get two rest periods in a week between 1 AM and 5 AM.  Truck drivers are also required to take a break of at least 30 minutes for every 8 hours that they drive.

However, the fact that the 11-hour rule continues to stand is definitely a matter of concern.  You cannot judge a truck driver’s work hour standards with those of people in other occupations.  These are people who are in charge of operating a massive machine that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and can cause severe damage in an accident.

Fatigue continues to be a major factor in truck accidents, and these new rules will not help tackle the problem.  In fact, in trying to please both trucking safety groups and the trucking industry, the feds have come up with a rule that has displeased both groups.