Recent S.C. Crashes Stress the Importance of Staying Safe
A number of people traveling in South Carolina during the first week of February faced tragic consequences. Along with the Amtrak train crash into a parked CSX freight train in Cayce which killed two people, an additional 14 people lost their lives in car crashes throughout the state. The following locations and counties suffered deadly…
Read MoreWhat is Fentanyl, and Why is It So Dangerous?
Fentanyl is often prescribed and used by medical professionals to help alleviate the short and long-term pain experienced by many patients recovering from injuries and surgical procedures. As a synthesized opioid, the drug is extremely powerful, with a potency of 50 to 100 times that of morphine. National Center for Health statistics show that of…
Read MoreWhat Causes Lack of Oxygen to the Brain of a Baby, and When is It the Result of Medical Malpractice?
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a severe brain injury also referred to as birth asphyxia. It can occur among adults, but also during the labor and delivery of a baby when it is deprived of oxygen. In fact, the occurrences of asphyxia at birth according to MedScape are more common than one may realize, accounting…
Read MoreMinimal Medical Device Regulations Pose Serious Dangers to Metal Hip Implant Patients
Medical devices such as pacemakers, cardiac stents, surgical mesh, defibrillators, heart valves, artificial joints, and nerve stimulators are given to patients commonly in the United States. In fact, approximately 32 million Americans have one or more medical devices implanted in their bodies. Although, many of these devices provide health saving benefits, too many of them…
Read MoreFinding the Balance Between Preventing Opioid Addiction and Legitimate Use for Pain
A major element adding to the tragedy of opioid abuse is the overprescribing of these substances to the general public. In 2012 alone, over 250 million opioid prescriptions were issued by healthcare professionals. Those numbers are staggering – equivalent to about one bottle of pills for every adult in America. As we take in the…
Read MoreSharing the Road Safely with Semi-Trailer Trucks
Driving on the highway behind, alongside, or even in front of a tractor-trailer without understanding the limitation of these larger vehicles can be dangerous. It’s important to know how to share the road with these big rigs safely in order to avoid a potential catastrophe. Collisions between semi-trailers and cars can be devastating and lead…
Read MoreFentanyl, the Pain Patch and Subsys Dangers
As the most potent pain medication in the prescription drugs marketplace, fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 100 times more powerful than morphine. Due to its powerful ability to kill pain, the opioid is routinely used, among other drugs, for inducing anesthesia prior to surgery. It was in 1960 when Dr. Paul Janssen synthesized fentanyl for…
Read MoreAmtrak Derailment in South Carolina Leaves Two Dead
On Sunday, February 4th, 2018 at around 2:30 am, an Amtrak train out of New York and heading to Miami crashed into a stationary freight train in a yard in South Carolina. There were two fatalities involving the train’s engineer and a conductor. According to news reports, 116 of the 147 people on board were…
Read MoreLatest Decision May Help Victims of Bair Hugger Warming Devices Pursue Justice
3M, the Maplewood-based giant manufacturer, which is well-known for selling innovative office and home improvements supplies, also sells Bair Hugger warming blankets, a forced air patient warming device used in hospitals. The device is designed to keep patients warm during surgery and thus prevent infections and promote overall healing. However, thousands of people have taken…
Read MoreAntibiotic Use in Early Pregnancy May Raise Birth Defect Risk
A new study shows the danger of certain antibiotics prescribed to women in early pregnancy due to the risk of birth defects. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed antibiotic prescriptions filled by pregnant women who had urinary tract infections in their first trimester of pregnancy. They found that despite…
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