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Recent Blog Posts
What Can I Do To Decrease My Risk Of SCI Pregnancy Complications?
Deciding to have a child after suffering a spinal cord injury can be an extremely daunting task. However, you're not going to allow your injury to destroy your dreams of having a family. Therefore, as long as your doctor is comfortable with you conceiving, carrying, and delivering your child-you're going to do everything in your power to do just that.
You know the risks will be high, but you also know that women have done it before, and so can you. As long as you know what precautions to take. So, what preventative actions and care can you take in order to prevent pregnancy complications due to your injury?
Caring for Common SCI Pregnancy Complications
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, SCI women have an estimated 75 percent increase for specific pregnancy risks than those who don't suffer from a SCI. These risks include bladder and bowel obstructions, urinary tract infections (UTI), pressure sores, and autonomic dysreflexia (dangerously high blood pressure). However, you can lower the risks involved for these complications by following these simple tips:
How Does The Lack Of Oxygen Affect The Brain During Brain Hypoxia?
When you awoke, you were sitting in a hospital bed and a nurse was checking your vital signs. You had absolutely no idea what had happened. The last thing you remembered was getting ready to go to dinner with your wife.
When the nurse noticed that you were awake, he immediately ran to get the doctor. When he returned, he brought the doctor and your wife. After several confused moments, where he checked your eyes and asked you several questions that you didn't understand, your wife explained what had happened.
Apparently, while eating diner you had choked on a piece of potato. After several minutes of panic, a waiter was able to perform the Heimlich maneuver and remove the offensive spud. However, even though you were able to take a breath, you still passed out. That was three days ago-you've been unconscious ever since. The doctor told you that you would have to remain under observation for the next few days to make sure you didn't suffer any permanent brain damage.
How To Take Control Of Your Medical Malpractice Claim
Many times victims of medical malpractice want to handle their own claims-without the help of an attorney. Sometimes this is okay if the incident and injury weren't serious; however, it is always wise to meet with an experienced medical malpractice attorney first for a free case evaluation. If you still decide to pursue the claim on your own, then you will need to know how to take control of the claim from the very beginning.
Here are some things you need to know when pursuing a medical malpractice case:
- Take notes. If you think you are a victim of medical malpractice, it is important that you start keeping notes. Write down past conversations and memories before they become foggy, and start keeping track of current and future conversations with your doctor or other healthcare professionals (and include the date in your notes).
- Gather information. This goes without saying, but you will want to collect your medical information and any other data related to your medical care that can help strengthen your case. This can include your medical records, hospital bills, other medical bills, and receipts for all of your expenses related to the act of medical malpractice. Be aware that some hospitals and doctor's offices will deny or delay sending you your medical records. You need to know that you have a right to a copy of your medical records, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Keep requesting the information until you get it. You will then want to look through your medical records to see if you can find any information that shows a mishap occurred with your care.
Are Forceps Deliveries More Dangerous Than Vacuum Pressure Deliveries?
Difficult or complicated deliveries can quickly cause your baby to become distressed. When this happens, your doctor must make immediate decisions to speed the birth along in order to get your baby out quickly. Unfortunately, these "life-saving" decisions, as well as the hasty way in which the decisions are carried out, can actually cause serious harm to you and your newborn.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one out of every twenty deliveries need doctor intervention to coax the baby out of the birth canal. Unfortunately, physician assistance provided by forceps or vacuum suction, also accounts for hundreds of maternal injuries and thousands of neonatal injuries every year.
Safety Concerns of Forceps Over Vacuums for Delivery Assistance
The two preferred ways to help assist a delivery, besides a cesarean, are with forceps and vacuum extractions. Vacuum extractions make up 33 percent of assisted deliveries, while the remaining 66 percent requires the use of forceps.
Brain Damage As A Result Of Inaccurate Surgical Cuts
"It's not brain surgery" has become a common catchphrase to explain that something isn't complex. Brain surgery is rightly believed to complicated. Brain surgeons (also known as neurosurgeons) are generally very intelligent people; however, even brain surgeons make mistakes on occasion.
Although neurosurgeons are highly trained, thoroughly educated, and well-versed in their jobs, they are also human-and all humans make mistakes from time to time. But "Oops, I'm only human" isn't a good enough excuse to explain away responsibility for negligent care. Mistakes made by neurosurgeons may include lack of planning, poor processes, poor communication, and even lack of experience with a certain type of brain surgery. Unfortunately, any error made during brain surgery may result in brain damage, paralysis, and other debilitating injuries.
Brain Damage Caused by Incision Errors
One type of serious mistake that causes brain damage and other debilitating outcomes is an incision error. Although frighteningly shocking, surgeons sometimes make inaccurate cuts that can lead to brain injuries.
What Does It Mean To Hydroplane?
Rain, melting snow, and man-made flooding-such as testing or draining fire hydrants-can all cause treacherous wet-road conditions that can put you and your family at risk. When pavement gets wet, the water mixes with dirt, oil, and debris, creating a slippery sheet across the road. This sheet can cause your tires to lose traction and control, hurtling into other vehicles.
According to the National Weather Service, thousands of drivers and passengers are seriously injured every year in D.C. and Virginia due to hydroplaning on the Beltway, around Dupont Circle, and other busy roadways.
What Is Hydroplaning?
Hydroplaning occurs when your tires are unable to displace large amounts of water in order to gain traction, and your vehicle winds up sledding across sheets of water.
In light rain, or when going over small puddles, the force and speed of your tires will push water behind and under your tires; then your tire treads will squeeze the liquid outward. However, when you're speeding, when the rain is coming down too fast, or when there is a lot of water on the pavement, your tires can't move the water aside fast enough in order to grip the road. Therefore, instead of making contact with actual pavement, your tires are essentially spinning on top of a layer of water. This causes your car to slip, slide, and skid. Forget braking: your tires have no traction to bring the car to a stop.
Besides Traffic Accidents, What Other Campus Dangers Could Cause My Child To Become Seriously Injured?
It's been a week since you helped your son move to George Mason. Although you know he has a lot on plate, you asked him to call you at least twice a week, and so far nothing. Is he okay? Did something happen?
Finally, your phone rings, and it's his cell.
"Hi sweetie. How are you?"
"Um. Hello. Is this John's mother?"
You instantly start to panic. "Yes. Who is this?"
"My name is Sean. I'm your son's roommate. I thought I should let you know, we had a bit of an accident in our dorm. There was a small fire in the kitchen area, and John was burned. I'm pretty sure he'll be fine, but he was taken to Inova for treatment. He wanted me to let you know."
As he was talking you were gathering your things and making your way to your car. "Thank you so much for calling, Sean. I'll be there as soon as I can."
You hang up and make a beeline toward Inova. How could this happen? He's only been there for a week, and he's already at the hospital? You thought campus was safe. Were you wrong?
School Bus Safety: Keeping Kids Safe
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), children are much safer taking a bus to and from school than traveling by car. In fact, their research shows that children are 70 times more likely to arrive at school safely on a school but than in a car. However, there are still accidents involving school buses every year. Typical accidents include the following:
- School bus boarding accidents. The area around a school bus is a major danger zone because the bus driver and drivers of other cars cannot see children there. Children must be careful when getting ready to board a bus or after getting off the bus.
- Illegal passing of school buses. Many drivers illegally pass a school bus because they are distracted or because they are simply not aware of school bus laws. Unfortunately, illegal passing of school buses is a problem around the nation. Kids attempting to cross the street after stepping off a school bus are put in danger when drivers fail to stop when a school bus driver extends the stop sign and turns on flashing lights.
Why Are There Different Types Of Anesthesia, And Which One Is The Safest?
Your surgery is scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow at Inova, and you're extremely nervous. Your doctor assured you that it is a simple procedure and depending on how you feel tomorrow, you can decide whether you want a local, regional, or general anesthetic.
Since the surgery isn't too invasive, which one should you choose? Is one safer than the others? What are the differences?
Types of Anesthesia
Anesthesia is used throughout many medical procedures as a way to numb pain or to keep you from feeling and reacting to pain. Depending on the procedure, there are three different types of anesthesia-local, regional, and general-that might be used:
- Local anesthesia is a numbing agent given to temporarily stop the sense of pain in a specific area of the body. While you remain awake and fully conscious, the local anesthetic dulls the nerves around the injection site, making it impossible for you to feel pain in that area. An example of a local anesthesia would be when your dentist gives you an injection in your gums when you're getting a cavity filled. Your gums become numb, but you're fully awake and alert throughout the procedure.
Staying Safe On The Road: 5 Positive Ways To Approach Talking With Your Teen Driver
Most teenagers cannot wait to get their driver's license and the keys to a car. Although driving is a rite of passage and an exciting time in a teen's life, it is also a scary time-especially for parents. This is because statistics show that motor vehicle accidents are still the number one cause of death for teens in the U.S. According to recent crash statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 99,000 teen drivers were injured in crashes in 2015 and 1,972 teen drivers were involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents for the same year.
While most parents want their teens to be aware of the risks associated with driving, they aren't especially sure how to approach talking with their teens in the right way. Many parents try to scare their teens straight with deadly statistics and horrific pictures, hoping it will get their teens to take driving seriously. However, approaching it in this way can cause teens to shut down, according to information distributed by the team behind National Teen Driver Safety Week.
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703-591-0067
From our office in Fairfax, Shevlin Smith, P.C. serves clients throughout Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., including Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Burke, Centreville, Dale City, Fair Oaks, Leesburg, Manassas, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, and Woodbridge, as well as Fairfax County, Arlington County, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County.
Results listed are not a guarantee or indication of future case results.
