MI Safety Matters – Poison Prevention Week Highlights Important Safety Tips

March 23, 2010

As a dedicated Detroit personal injury lawyer, it is important to update the public on tips and suggestions that can help keep everyone safe, as well as prevent accidents. Especially with small children, poisoning accidents can occur just with simple products that are around the home. Last week, children safety groups hosted the National Poison Prevention Week in order to raise awareness to parents about the potential hazards that could lead to these incidents.

According to safety experts, poison control centers nationwide receive approximately 1.2 million reports annually of unintentional poisoning accidents. A significant portion of the incidents involve non-pharmaceutical  products that can be found in the home, such as cosmetics, cleaning supplies, plants, art supplies, or children’s toys. “It doesn’t take much to make a child sick,” stated Safe Kids Coordinator Dave Crozier. And because so many everyday products can easily make a child sick, the likelihood of a poisoning accident occurring within the home is greatly increased.

Here are some important tips to remember that can prevent poisoning accidents:

  • Read the labels to all medication before administering it to anyone, including yourself. All medications should be kept in it’s original child-restraint container and out of the reach of small children.
  • Read all labels to find out which products are poisonous. Common household products that are unsafe are toilet cleaners, bleach, oven cleaners, and dishwasher products. Other potentially dangerous items could be makeup, plants, pesticides, alcohol, art supplies, or toys.
  • Never leave poisonous products unattended while in use, particularly if there are small children in the home.
  • Store all household cleaning products in a hidden cabinet out of the reach of children. If necessary, use cabinet locks to prevent child access to the harmful substances.
  • Buy child-restraint packages when possible to make sure that poisonous items are secure.

Following these simple, but important safety tips can help keep you and your family safe from poisoning accidents. The consequences of an accidental poisoning can be life-changing and result in severe personal injury or death, particularly to young children. If you or a loved one has been injured in a poisoning accident, it is essential to seek the assistance of an experienced Detroit accidental injury lawyer immediately. Doing so can not only ensure the best legal advice and legal representation, but also the most successful outcome for your personal injury claim.

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MI Health Matters – New Study Gets Positive Results for Victims of TBI

March 22, 2010

Throughout the legal career of an experienced Detroit personal injury lawyer, it is common to represent a number of individuals who have sustained severe personal injury or died as the result of an accident. Some of the most tragic incidents, are those that cause catastrophic injury or traumatic brain injury because these medical problems are often life-changing and irreversible. Fortunately, scientists are developing treatments for these debilitating injuries so that people can resume life as normally as possible. In recent weeks, a study was conducted that used hyperbaric oxygen as a therapy to traumatic brain injury, and received positive results.

A study conducted by the International Hyperbaric Medical Foundation looked at new ways of treating traumatic brain injuries of military veterans, particularly those who have suffered catastrophic injury from near-battle explosions. The hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been successful in treating individuals who suffer from symptoms of brain decompression illness (deep-sea divers, for example) or post-traumatic stress disorder. The findings reported showed that patients who used this method to treat traumatic brain injuries had a “fifteen point increase in IQ in little over a month, a great reduction of depression, four times the expected improvements in… headaches and sleep disturbances, and great improvements in post-traumatic stress disorder. In one hospital alone, forty patients with TBI were treated using this therapy, and the success rates were between ninety to ninety-nine percent.

A trial of this therapy is set to begin within a few weeks–over one thousand eligible patients will be treated from fifteen locations nationwide. Over a period of five months, each patient will undergo eighty sessions. Individuals being treated will be able to listen to music, watch TV, sleep while in the hyperbaric chamber undergoing their pain-free treatment. Aside from the minimal discomfort, this treatment has no side-effects and can be performed many years after the accident.

Suffering from catastrophic injury or traumatic brain injury is a scary and overwhelming process for anyone to go through, as the consequences are life-altering and permanent. As a dedicated Detroit catastrophic injury lawyer, it is important to highlight new scientific and medical developments that will help victims of traumatic brain injury recover quicker, and without pain. For answers to the many questions an injured person will undoubtedly have, it is important to contact hard-working legal counsel immediately. Doing so can not only provide the best legal advice and legal representation, but also help ensure the most successful outcome for your personal injury claim.

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MI Health Matters – Study Shows High Hospital Death Rate Correlated with High Occupancy

March 9, 2010

As a Detroit personal injury lawyer representing individuals who have sustained personal injury in an accident, it is nearly impossible to ignore problems presented regarding patient care. Persons who have sustained any form of personal injury trust that health care professionals will deliver the best care–ultimately that their visit to the hospital will make their ailments better, not worse. However, in a recent study completed by the University of Michigan, the higher the occupancy a hospital has, the more likely the chances are of a patient dying while receiving medical attention from the hospital.

Published in the March issue of Medical Care, the University of Michigan published the study, stating the when the occupancy of a hospital is high, the chances of a patient dying while in hospital care increases 5.6 percent. To come to these conclusions, researchers compared important factors that affect hospital deaths, including hospital occupancy, nurse staffing levels, weekend admission, and seasonal illnesses. While adding more nurses to the staff decreased the chances of a patient dying by 6 percent, weekend admissions to the hospital increased the chance by 7.5 percent–ultimately nullifying the care the extra nurses are meant to deliver. During influenza seasons, the risk of dying in a hospital further increases to 11.1 percent. Additionally, researchers maintain that since the study was done on such a large-scale – 166,920 adult patients in 39 Michigan hospitals – that it could be generalized to apply to hospitals nationwide.

However, authors want readers of the study to put its findings in realistic terms. According to co-author Matthew M. Davis, “Hospital occupancy changes from day to day, so patients shouldn’t try to choose a hospital based on its occupancy level.” However, he also mentioned that the findings from studies such as these are meant to encourage hospitals to examine not only the flow of patients, but also the processes of their care during high occupancy times such as weekends during flu season. “Those are more challenging moments when more things can go wrong,” David added.

This study highlights the idea of “block access” to medical care, which is concern of a Detroit personal injury attorney. This occurs when a fully occupied hospital prevents patients in need of emergency care an inpatient hospital bed, which ultimately prolongs waiting periods for time-critical medical care. Authors, along with personal injury legal counsel hope that this study serves as an alert to hospitals to reevaluate their means of providing patient care during high occupancy periods. Doing so can help ensure that all injured individuals seeking medical attention will leave the hospital in better condition than which they entered.

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Safety Matters – UMich Study Reveals Parents Have Vaccine Concerns

March 1, 2010

The legal career of an experienced and dedicated Detroit personal injury lawyer is largely connected with a desire to help all people stay safe and healthy, especially during the winter season. Although vaccines are promoted by physicians to prevent diseases, a new study conducted by the University of Michigan shows that many parents are very apprehensive to administer vaccines to their children, even if the disease could be potentially fatal.

According to the study, approximately twelve percent of parents have refused to allow their child to receive at least one vaccination that was recommended by a doctor or pediatrician. Most often, parents cited a distrust for the vaccination itself as the main reason why they hesitated to give it to their child.  The study’s data looked at responses from over 1,500 parents concerning their attitudes towards vaccinations. Of this number, fifty-three percent were concerned that their child would sustain personal injury as a result of the medicine’s side effects. The study also revealed that the most commonly avoided vaccinations are the newer ones. Over thirty-two percent of parents interviewed refused to allow their children to be administered the chickenpox vaccine. In addition, almost fifty-seven percent were against giving their child the HPV vaccine, which is recommended for females in efforts to avoid developing cervical cancer.

Generally, doctors and physicians are not surprised with the results. Before vaccines were available, personal injury and fatality rates from disease were relatively high. When vaccinations became available, many people made it a point to receive a dose because they knew first-hand the potential consequences of being inflicted with a serious disease. As a result, the fatality rate from preventable diseases dramatically decreased. However, as vaccinations have become more common, the parents of this generation do not seem to be as concerned with illnesses that have become more easily treatable.

Regardless, medical experts agree that the most important thing is to analyze which vaccinations are the most important for children to receive, and push American parents to obtain a dose for their child. As medications are becoming more readily available, it is more important that they receive the right vaccinations as opposed to every vaccination. As a safety-minded Detroit personal injury attorney, clients with children are always encouraged to ask their doctor or physician any and all questions they may have regarding a medication before administering it to their child. Doing so can help ease any fears or concerns regarding the vaccination, allowing parents to be comfortable with their decision.

Although it is good to question the side effects and ingredients of a new medication, it is also important for parents to make sure that their children are protected from illnesses that easily float around, especially during the winter months. Doing so can best protect your family against suffering from personal injury or disease.

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