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Common Causes Of Oxygen Depletion In Your Brain
You've been worrying about your son's swim class field trip all week. You made him promise that he'd be safe and listen to the instructors-since you know he isn't the strongest swimmer. Even though you were still a little nervous, you swallowed your concern, dropped him off at the pool, and said your goodbyes.
To keep your mind off of the thousands of things that could happen, you decided to take a quick trip to the grocery store. After about an hour, you finally made it home to wait for your son's call to pick him up. You took your cell phone out of your pocket and saw that you had a missed call from a strange number. You listened to the voicemail-it was your son's swim teacher, telling you that there had been an accident.
You immediately rushed to the hospital, hoping and praying that everything was okay. When you got there, your son's doctor told you that he was alive, but still unconscious. He said that your son would have to be monitored overnight since he believes that during the drowning episode, he may have suffered several minutes of brain damaging hypoxia. However, they won't know the extent until he wakes up.
How To Fight The Consequences Of Medical Malpractice In D.C.
Do you feel overwhelmed and helpless every time you go to the doctor?
Have your symptoms worsened or pain increased after your doctor diagnosed and prescribed you medication?
If you believe that you may have suffered consequences of medical malpractice in Washington D.C., you're not alone. On average, medical negligence occurs once a day in every D.C. hospital. Most of the time these instances only temporarily prolong a diagnosis; however, in more severe cases they can cause irrevocable physical harm.
Washington D.C. defines medical malpractice as any substandard care or errors made by a doctor, hospital or HMO. This includes:
- Misdiagnoses
- Prescribing the wrong medication, or medication that interferes with your current medication
- Surgical mistakes, such as operating in the wrong place, leaving foreign objects within the body, etc.
- Miscommunication between doctor, patient, or staff resulting in harm
- Patient abuse
- Confidentiality breaches
Three Things That Can Make A Big Difference In Your Brain Injury Recovery
It is hard to look back on what life was like before your accident on Fairfax Boulevard left you with a traumatic brain injury. Whether the incident happened earlier this week or several months ago, you may be stunned at just how quickly life changed. As much as you wish you could go back and prevent the accident from occurring, you know that it is impossible. The accident has happened and you must live with the consequences, but that doesn't mean you should give up fighting for your recovery.
Three Ways to Help Your Own Recovery
If you, or a loved one, are living with a traumatic brain injury after an accident, it is important to:
- Get medical treatment as soon as possible. Prompt treatment may prevent your condition from worsening.
- Follow your doctor's treatment plan. It can take a long time to recover from a brain injury. You may need rehabilitation therapy and to follow a treatment plan set out by your doctor to aid in your recovery.
- Avoid doing anything that would jeopardize your legal or financial recovery. For example, don't talk directly with insurance companies or post anything on social media. You could risk you future recovery.
The Painful Truth about Cauda Equina Syndrome
Virginia's Spinal Cord Injury With An Interesting Name
You have a spinal cord injury called "cauda equina syndrome" (CES). Cauda equina translates to "horse tail" but is not related to horses at all. It is simply the name of the bundle of nerves at the bottom of the spinal cord. Unfortunately, an injury to the cauda equina resulting in CES is not simple at all. The cauda equina is responsible for sending and receiving messages to and from your legs, feet, and pelvic organs.
While many complain about lower-back pain in Virginia, CES is a very different kind of pain. Many with lower-back pain describe their pain as an ache or soreness. CES often sends people to the hospital emergency room, requiring immediate surgery. CES can have lasting damage, leading to incontinence or even permanent paralysis of the legs.
CES is often the result of a rapid injury to the spine caused by a ruptured disk in the lumbar area or severe impact to the lumbar region during a car accident or fall. While some experience excruciating pain right away, others experience CES as a slow progression. CES can also mimic other conditions, sometimes making diagnosis difficult. The following are considered "common" symptoms, but are not experienced by everyone:
Patients May Be Harmed When An Anesthesiologist Fails To Monitor
When patients undergo surgery, many medical professionals are involved, including nurses, doctors, and anesthesiologists. While it is possible for an error to occur at any level and at any step along the way due to a healthcare professional's negligence, this article will discuss negligence on the part of an anesthesiologist.
Unfortunately, there are many things that can go wrong when anesthesia is involved, including an allergic reaction, respiratory issues, oxygen deprivation, and much more. This is why it is critical that anesthesiologists monitor their patients very carefully. However, sometimes anesthesiologists fail to monitor patients for the following reasons:
- Distraction. With the onset of technology, many people in the healthcare industry wear smartwatches that allow them to access their emails, texts, social media accounts and much more. Sadly, accessing this information while monitoring a patient may cause an anesthesiologist to be distracted and fail to catch problems.
Dangers In School Zones Affecting Pedestrian Safety
In 2015, 456 children died as pedestrians involved in motor vehicle collisions, according to the Pedestrian Fact Sheet from Safe Kids Worldwide. And if this statistic wasn't bad enough, over 40,000 child pedestrians suffered injuries in accidents involving cars in 2014. Although the statistics account for those aged one to 19, the majority of children who died and suffered injuries in pedestrian accidents were teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19.
While not all of these pedestrian accidents took place near schools, many accidents occur every year in school zones that result in child and teen injuries and fatalities. And because more kids are out walking when school is in session, we would like to take a closer look at school zone pedestrian accidents.
Causes of School Zone Pedestrian Accidents
- Distracted driving. When drivers engage in an activity such as texting that takes their hands off of the wheel, mind away from driving, and eyes off the road, accidents are more likely. What's shocking is that a study from Safe Kids USA shows that one in six drivers in school zones are driving while distracted.
What An Injured Passenger Should Know Following A Car Crash
Any time a traffic collision occurs and someone gets hurt-whether the injured person is the driver or a passenger-it can be a confusing time to think about one's rights and filing a personal injury claim. Although passengers have somewhat of an easier time collecting compensation following a crash since they aren't usually found liable for the wreck, they aren't always given the money they need and deserve.
It is important for passengers to know that they have rights to collect fair and just compensation for their costs associated with the crash, but that insurance companies often attempt to limit those rights by limiting their financial recoveries.
What Are a Passenger's Rights in a Crash?
When a passenger is injured in a car accident, the passenger can file an injury claim in order to collect fair compensation. Here are some ways in which passengers can collect after being injured in one of the various types of wrecks.
- Passenger injured in a one-car accident. Sometimes a driver may run off the side of the road or hit a tree and the passenger in that vehicle may get injured. If this is the case, a passenger would need to file a claim against the driver's insurance policy to collect damages. Although this may feel awkward when a friend is at fault, it is important for passengers to remember they aren't suing their friends but they are filing a claim against the driver's insurance policy for their expenses related to their injuries. The driver's insurance coverage should provide compensation for a passenger's medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering up to the policy limits.
Recognizing Medical Misconduct Before It’s Too Late
Over 50 different hospitals in the greater D.C. area care for patients. MedStar hospitals alone care for thousands of different patients on a daily basis. This means close to 10,000 Washingtonians a day are trusting their doctors to care for them with 100 percent focus, accuracy and medical perfection.
However, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, approximately 225,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors, while countless more suffer from permanent physical and psychological trauma.
Unfortunately, most of these victims aren't even aware that their injuries were caused by medical negligence. Based on a practice study performed by the Harvard Medical School, only one out of every eight victims recognizes medical incompetence and files a malpractice claim. This is why it's extremely important that you're able to see and identify medical carelessness and misconduct when it occurs; you'll be able to protect yourself from undue harm as well as be able to provide evidence for a potential medical malpractice claim.
Latest Malpractice Cause Is Catching Fire In Surgery Suites
You arrive at MedStar a little nervous but excited to get your surgery over with so you can get back home. It's taken two months, four x-rays. a mammogram, and three specialists to determine that although it is probably just fatty tissue, the painful lump in your breast should be removed. So, you leave your husband in the waiting room as the nurses finally prep you and wheel you into the surgical suite. The doctors assured you that it's a simple procedure and you'll be back home in a few hours. You remember counting down as they gave you the anesthesia, "ten…nine…eight…sev…" then nothing.
When you wake up, rather than seeing your husband all ready to take you home, you see a nurse with her mouth covered by a mask, checking your vital signs. You immediately feel searing pain radiating from your chest, throat, and arms. You look down to see shiny blisters and pieces of gauze placed randomly across your torso. You try to ask the nurse what is going on, but she just tells you she'll get the doctor and runs out of the room.
Five Unknown Truths About Diving Accidents In Virginia
As temperatures rise, the sun stays up a little longer, the barbeques blaze, and the cover comes off the pool. For many, summertime is characterized by a carefree spirit, relaxing downtime, and fun with family and friends. For others, summertime around a pool is riddled with anxiety. Many view swimming pools as the most dangerous recreational place, and when you add a diving board, accidents resulting in spinal cord injuries in Virginia are eminent. While diving accidents in Virginia most certainly occur, there are some truths that should be examined.
Myth #1
Diving accidents in Virginia occur while using a diving board.
Truth: Less than 10% of all diving accidents involve a diving board. As long as the diving board is installed correctly, it shows swimmers the safest place to dive.
Myth #2
Diving into an above ground pool is safe.
Truth: It is never safe to dive into an above ground pool. The water is far too shallow, with an average of only 42 inches in depth.
703-591-0067
10513 Judicial Drive, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22030
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.
