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Seizures: Possible Side Effects Of Serious Head Injuries
Suffering head trauma from car accidents is, unfortunately, all too common these days. While the majority of head injuries are minor in nature, there are many head traumas that are considered severe, as in the case of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). While both minor and severe head injuries are associated with loss of consciousness and other physical and behavioral side effects, those who suffer severe head injuries are at an increased risk for developing seizures.
Types of Seizures Following an Auto Accident
When loss of consciousness, penetration of the brain, or internal bleeding around the brain happens, the victim can suffer seizures. Seizures can happen immediately after a collision or may even occur a week to nine months later. While many people assume they know what a seizure looks like, there are actually two general types of seizures to be aware of if you have suffered a head injury:
- Grand mal. The seizure most people think of when they picture a seizure, grand mal seizures cause loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.
Anesthesia Errors Are Grounds For Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Surgery-whether it is an emergency surgery or a planned procedure-usually requires the use of anesthesia. While most patients come out of their surgeries in better shape than when they entered the operating room, there are some patients who suffer harm due to surgical anesthesia malpractice.
What Is Anesthesia Malpractice?
In order to understand anesthesia malpractice, it is important to understand what anesthesia is exactly. Anesthesia is a drug that puts patients into a temporary induced state to undergo surgery without feeling pain. There are many different types of anesthesia such as general anesthesia, local anesthesia, regional anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, and epidural anesthesia. Some anesthetic drugs put patients in a drug-induced state of unconsciousness and some allow patients to remain conscious, but all of these types of drugs are supposed to limit muscle reflexes and eliminate pain.
Anesthesiologists administer the different types of anesthetic drugs prior to surgery. When an anesthesia error resulting in patient harm occurs due to the negligence of an anesthesiologist, a patient may be able to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit seeking damages for the harm they suffered. Sadly, even small mistakes made by anesthesiologists can have large adverse consequences, such as brain damage, permanent injury, and even death. Some of the ways in which an anesthesiologist commits medical malpractice include:
Understanding The Financial Reality Of A Serious Brain Injury
If your loved one has suffered a brain injury, you are probably already aware of the lifelong physical limitations a serious brain injury can have on your loved one. Not only does a brain injury negatively affect a victim, but a serious injury such as this can affect an entire household due to the emotional and financial burden on a family.
Virginia Brain Injuries Can Cause Financial Burden
Victims of brain injuries face a long road to recovery and they shouldn't have to shoulder the financial burden as well. Because a traumatic brain injury can require a lifetime of therapy and assistance, victims of serious brain injuries should have the financial resources to make it possible to get the best medical care.
Unfortunately, insurance companies for negligent parties tend to make affording the best brain injury care difficult. This is because insurance companies are always looking to make a profit-even if this means pocketing some of a brain injury victim's financial recovery.
When ER Personnel Miss Heart Attack Symptoms
People go to the emergency room (ER) for help and treatment, not to be injured. But injuries occur in emergency rooms every day across the country due to medical negligence. While the types of injuries that occur due to ER negligence vary in significance, one serious and even fatal mistake that can be made is failure to diagnose the symptoms of a heart attack.
Understanding Heart Attack Signs and Symptoms
When someone thinks of having a heart attack, the image of an elephant comes to mind. Many people assume they will experience heavy pressure like that of an elephant sitting on their chest. Others assume a heart attack will only come on like it is portrayed in the movies, where a man is shown clutching his chest and falling to the ground with stabbing pain. While these scenarios do occur for some people experiencing heart attacks, others may experience different signs. In either event, most heart attacks start off with obvious signs and symptoms that cause a person to call 9-1-1. However, sometimes heart attack symptoms come on slowly and a person gets himself to the ER.
The Healing Powers Of Yoga For Mind, Body, And Soul: How Stretches And Poses Can Help Heal A Wounded Brain
A new treatment option for traumatic brain injury has begun to take off in the United States.
So, what does this new treatment entail?
Is it surgical? Therapeutic? Medicinal? Expensive?
No…It's Yoga!
Yoga is a full body exercise that not only strengthens muscles but also engages the brain. As a result, TBI victims can use poses and stretches to experience the relaxing and strengthening benefits they need in their recovery. Whether it be focusing on balance or being able to voluntarily point their toes when they want to, these exercises promote neurological stimulation.
Although you should always check with your doctor before beginning any type of treatment following a TBI, the Brain Injury Alliance advocates yoga as a viable care option for TBI victims. Besides sculpting lean, strong muscles, and naturally realigning the spine, yoga offers TBI survivors a chance to eliminate stress and positively reconnect with their bodies and once again become comfortable with their own movements.
Am I At Risk Of A Hospital-Acquired Infection In Virginia?
Whether we are in a doctor's office for a routine checkup or in the emergency room for a broken bone, one thing is certain-we're there because we want to get better. So how is it possible that 90,000 people are killed by infections every year in places that are supposed to be caring for them?
Was your infection a result of hospital negligence in DC? Order our FREE book to find out if your doctor is liable: Do I Have A Case? A Patient's Guide to Virginia Medical Negligence Law
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimated that over two million people are infected in hospitals every year. The tragedy is that many of these hospital-acquired infections could have been avoided, since the common causes are entirely preventable.
Many hospital infections in Virginia result from one or more of these causes:
- Poor sanitation
- Non-compliance with health and safety standards
Quick And Easy Olfactory Tests May Help Determine Brain Injury During Combat
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) were the "signature" injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a U.S. Department of Defense special report. During these two conflicts, the number of TBI victims in the U.S. Army more than tripled. The increase is attributed to excessive explosion trauma and impact injuries during combat. As a result of this alarming spike in trauma incidents, researchers have been working on a way to help diagnose TBIs while in the field in order to help victims get treatment as quickly as possible.
One such study, led by Air Force Colonel Dr. Michael Xydakis, uses olfactory, or smell, testing to help determine the severity of trauma.
Battlefield Testing of Nose Memory
Dr. Xydakis and his team may have found a way to help combat doctors pinpoint TBI severity by using a simple smell test. The test is based on the idea that different smells communicate differently with the brain in order to associate that smell with a particular sense memory. However, if that communication is hindered, or the sense memory is lost, then there is a good possibility that the patient has suffered some sort of TBI. These tests (specifically designed for blast injury patients) can help battlefield doctors to do the following:
Why Medication Errors Occur And The Different Types Of Mistakes That Are Commonly Made
Patients in emergency rooms and hospitals often receive medication for their ailments and injuries. Even when released from the hospital, people take medications to treat their various illnesses. Consequently, people rely on their doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to provide them with safe medications that can help them and not harm them. Unfortunately, medication errors are often made at the hands of negligent doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other medical staff, which cause patients unnecessary harm.
What Is a Medication Error?
According to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERR), "A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing, order communication, product labeling, packaging and nomenclature, compounding, dispensing, distribution, administration, education, monitoring, and use."
Is There A Time Limit To File A Medical Malpractice Claim In Virginia?
Many people who have been injured as a result of medical malpractice in DC would rather focus on healing than assigning blame. Weeks, months or even years may pass before a patient realizes he is a victim of malpractice-and when he does, it may be too late to seek compensation.
Learn more about your DC medical malpractice case with our FREE book: Do I Have A Case? A Patient's Guide to Virginia Medical Negligence Law.
Every state has a set time limit on filing malpractice suits, also called the Statute of Limitations. These limitations usually start on the date of injury-such as the day you had surgery, or the day of the appointment when you were misdiagnosed.
In the DC area, there are several different time limits depending on your location. For example, if you live in:
- Virginia: You have two years from the date of injury to file a medical malpractice claim.
- Washington, DC: Patients in DC have three years from the date of injury to file their claim.
Unsafe Products Made by Negligent Manufacturers Cause Harm
Most companies make safe products that benefit consumers; however, there are other companies and manufacturers that produce dangerous products that cause serious injuries. While no company ever sets out to intentionally make an unsafe product, it does happen due to lack of safety testing, quality control, and cutting corners in an effort to save money. Consequently, defective products are made and sold on the marketplace every day unbeknownst to consumers.
Sadly, many people are injured every year by dangerous products such as defective household appliances, cribs, toys and other children's products, car seats, cars, tires, airbags and other car parts, medical devices, pacemakers, defibrillators, and medications just to name a few. When products are defective, they can lead to serious injuries including fractures, amputations, burn injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, and even death.
Three Top Causes of Unsafe Products
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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.
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