Personal Injury
Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $417 Million to Ovarian Cancer Victim in Talc Case
On Monday, August 21, while most of the country was out searching for the solar eclipse, a jury in Los Angeles awarded $417 million to Eva Echeverria. She is dying of ovarian cancer – too ill even to attend the trial – linked to 41 years’ worth of daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s baby…
Read MoreGetting to the Bottom of the Elizabethkingia Anophelis Outbreaks
If you’ve never heard of Elizabethkingia anophelis, don’t worry: you’re not alone. It’s a bacterial strain found most often in the gut of mosquitos, most often in Africa. But in 2015 and 2016, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirmed reported an outbreak of the bacteria in the state. In total, they had 63 confirmed…
Read MoreVA Health Initiative is Reducing MRSA Cases
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) a serious problem in hospitals throughout the country. That is why an initiative by the Veterans Health Administration looks so promising. At a recent conference, the VHA reported a reduction in “Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections by 89 percent over four years in a Veterans community living center (CLC) in North Carolina.”…
Read MoreThere’s a Good Chance That Your Plane’s Captain Is Clinically Depressed
Hundreds of flights are crisscrossing the country right now; those flights are carrying millions of people to their loved ones for the holidays. While flying is statistically safer than driving, a new survey has revealed an unanticipated danger to travelers around the globe; more than 1 in 8 pilots may be suffering from clinical depression.…
Read MoreOff-Duty Firefighter Saved Dozens from Deadly Restaurant Gas Leak
Lonnie Wimmer’s night out on his day off turned out to be a lucky break for patrons of the River Ridge Taphouse in Clemmons, NC. The off-duty firefighter noticed that a number of people in the crowd were behaving strangely; holding their heads or stomachs and making frequent trips to the bathroom. The observant Wimmer…
Read MoreSamsung’s Latest Recall Poses Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury
It hasn’t been a good year for Samsung loyalists. The Galaxy Note 7 recall was a disaster; it was more than a month after injuries and multiple cases of exploding batteries were reported before an official recall was issued. After replacement handsets started exploding, the company published a public apology in full-page ads in three…
Read MoreWhat Parents Should Know about Pokémon GO
If you haven’t heard about Pokémon GO yet, you’ve probably seen the effects of the latest gaming craze to sweep the nation. The increase in the number of people spending time outdoors isn’t some new health craze – it’s thanks to Nintendo’s wildly successful smartphone game. Once-deserted town centers are hosting droves of tweens and…
Read MoreStudy Shows Sub-Clinical PTSD Responds Better to Established Treatment
Subclinical post-traumatic stress disorder is not something that often makes the news. The condition means that veterans exposed to trauma experience some, but not all, of the symptoms required for a diagnosis of PTSD. While their service has affected their lives, it hasn’t done so drastically enough to warrant a formal diagnosis (according to the…
Read MoreA Heartwarming Tale of Tech Support
Peter Byrne is a 21-year-old with cerebral palsy and a passion for video games. Cerebral palsy is caused by an insult an immature, developing brain, often before or during birth. As such, Byrne has lived with his disability all his life. Unfortunately, the disorder affects his muscle tone and movement in a way that interferes…
Read MoreBionic Spine Implant Could Help the Paralyzed to Walk Again
Australian developers have created an implantable “bionic spine” that can interpret and transmit signals from the motor cortex. The device, about the size of a paperclip, can be implanted through a vein using a catheter. This method eliminates the need for dangerous and invasive brain surgery. How it works The Guardian reports, “The outside of…
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