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Study Shows Parents Disregard Car Seat Safety Guidelines: How To Keep Your Children Safe On The Road
It can be difficult to keep pace with the latest trends in car seat safety, but it is one of the best things parents can do to prevent their children from being seriously injured in an accident. Using child car seats and other restraints properly can cut the risk of death or serious injury for a child by half or more. Unfortunately, an alarming new study reveals parents' adherence to child car seat safety guidelines is on the decline.
As Children Grow, Car Seats Should Be Replaced
The American Academy of Pediatrics issues car seat safety guidelines for kids of all ages. Here are a few highlights to help keep your children safe on Virginia roads:
- A child should use a rear-facing car seat until he or she reach the maximum height or weight for the seat specified by the manufacturer, which on average is around the age of 2.
Doctor Arrested After 2-Year Medical Malpractice Investigation
What began as a medical malpractice investigation has led to the arrest of a Stafford, Virginia doctor. Nibedita Mohanty has been charged with 72 counts of Felony Distribution of Narcotics, 22 counts of Felony Obtaining Money by False Pretenses (involving insurance fraud), and one count of Involuntary Manslaughter.
The manslaughter charge stems from an overdose death that was directly related to Mohanty's practice of over-prescribing pain narcotics, according to the Sheriff's Office. Back in January 2013, Mohanty's home and office were raided and numerous bank statements, computers, and cash were seized. The affidavit that led to the search warrants accused Mohanty of running a "pill mill," and her practice was described as a haven for drug abusers and dealers.
The investigation initially began in 2011 when a doctor reviewing her prescribing practices said that the volume of drugs Mohanty was prescribing each week indicated that something was amiss. One informant told the police that he went to Dr. Mohanty after a friend suggested he see her and told him that she would prescribe anything for $250.
Innovative DC Doctors Dealing With Children's Chronic Pain
It can be difficult to see any member of your family suffer with chronic pain caused by a catastrophic injury, but it is nearly unbearable when that family member is your child. Ten-year-old Sophia Isacco was hit by a car in 2011, and her leg snapped. Her mother said she would scream if anyone touched her. "The worst thing you can ever do is see your child in pain like that," she said. Many patients, like Sophia, deal with pain for years to come Their pain is considered chronic and requires treatment beyond surgery or re-setting of a bone.
While there are practices in place to deal with chronic pain caused by accidents or injuries in DC, dealing with the chronic pain of a child can look completely different. According to a recent article, the doctors and medical staff at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC are launching innovative treatments in a new pain clinic designed specifically for kids.
Determining Damages After Injury in Virginia
After a car accident, slip and fall accident, or other type of accident, you may find yourself wondering if you have a valid personal injury claim and what type of financial compensation is available. If this is your first time being injured by someone else's negligence, you might not know what to do or how the insurance company will view your claim.
Any time you are injured, especially when someone else is at fault, insurance companies will play a part in determining whether you have a valid claim. Although the insurance adjuster working on your case will likely not be overly cooperative, you can determine for yourself whether you might have a valid claim and what damages you may be entitled to.
Determining a Personal Injury Claim's Validity
Whether you are seeking a financial recovery from another person's insurance carrier or your own insurance company, it is important that you know what insurance companies look at when determining a claim's validity. Some factors include:
Deadly Infections At Virginia And DC Hospitals Prompt New Methods Of Cleanliness
Imagine going to a Virginia or DC hospital for a routine procedure and finding yourself clinging to life from a deadly infection. It may sound like the stuff that movies are made of, but in reality, it happens more frequently than doctors and hospital administrators would like to admit. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital infections are estimated to cause 100,000 deaths each year and end up costing as much as 30 billion dollars a year in additional medical costs.
One in 20 patients that enter the hospital end up being treated for an infection that they contracted from being in the hospital. Among the infections are superbugs that are difficult to treat, like C-diff and MRSA. Recently hospitals have attempted to reduce the number of infections by employing new methods of cleanliness.
The new ideas include:
- Machines that emit ultraviolet light or hydrogen peroxide vapors
- Copper bed rails, call buttons, and IV poles
Elective C-sections performed too early 36% of the time
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that elective C-sections be performed no sooner than 39 full weeks of gestation. A recent research study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) found that 36% of C-sections were performed earlier than this benchmark. Babies delivered by C-sections before 39 weeks have been shown to have increased birth-related problems such as respiratory distress, lower blood sugar, infection or a need for intensive care.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-01-07-C-section-elective_N.htm
Spinal Cord Injuries: Long Term Effects
Paralysis may be the result of a spinal cord injury. Because the spinal cord contains nerves that carry messages to and from the brain and body, when it is damaged, the communication between the brain and the body is compromised. How severe the paralysis is depends on the location on the spinal cord where the damage occurred. In this article, we will look at various types of paralysis and areas of the body affected.
Understanding Paralysis
When a person is unable to move parts of his body, we typically refer to this as paralysis. Generally, when someone endures a spinal cord injury, he loses feeling and function from the point of injury down. There can be a few reasons that this occurs. One reason is that the pathway between the brain and nerves has been blocked, meaning that the brain cannot get messages to the body about which muscles to move or what to feel. In some cases, a person can feel certain sensations; but the body is unable to send messages, which enable the muscles to move in response to that sensation. Yet in other situations, there may be a partial paralysis due to a certain affected area.
The Adverse Effects Of Sponges And Other Equipment Left Inside Patients Following Surgery
It is normal to worry when facing surgery. In fact, many people worry whether they will react poorly to the anesthesia, if they will be in pain following the surgery, and what the side effects or outcome of the surgery will be. While you may not worry about a doctor leaving equipment inside of you, the truth of the matter is that surgical items do get left inside patients more often than they should.
Although most doctors and hospitals have procedures in place for this sort of thing not to happen (i.e., count the objects that go in and count the number that come out), surgical equipment can inadvertently get left behind if nurses and doctors fail to follow protocol. These objects can include sponges, hardware, clamps, forceps, and other surgical instruments. Although any of these objects can be cause for concern, the biggest problem for a patient is the forgotten sponge that is used during surgery to soak up blood, according to USA Today. In fact, lost sponges are the most common objects left inside patients' bodies when doctors sew them up.
Inadequate Care For Ovarian Cancer Patients In Virginia
At age 32, Jennifer McKeon of Alexandria, Virginia, was diagnosed with stage-3 ovarian cancer. Her doctor recommended a full hysterectomy surgery and aggressive chemotherapy. She thought the treatment was extreme, so she sought a second and a third opinion.
Her concerns were validated by a new study, showing that 75% of patients with ovarian cancer are not getting cutting edge care. This leads to more reoccurrences and more deaths.
John Elkas, a gynecological oncologist at INOVA Fairfax Hospital, said, "We have a long way to go in this country, even with all of our technological advances to really provide the best care to women with this disease." Dr. Elkas suggested that women are not getting the proper care for diseases like ovarian cancer because they are not being treated by specialists. Instead, they are seeing general surgeons or general oncologists.
According to Elkas, "Not every doctor sees ovarian cancer regularly, so lumping it together with colon cancer, pancreatic cancer is wrong."
Second Metrobus Collision In A Month Injures Six In D.C.
Early Sunday morning on April 21, a vehicle collided with a Metrobus in Northwest Washington D.C. Just after 6:30 a.m., the bus was headed toward the Tenleytown Metro station when it was hit by a gray minivan. The collision caused the bus to veer off the road and strike a nearby tree.
According to WMATA spokesman Dan Stessel, the accident occurred at 34th Street NW and Woodley Road NW. Stessel also stated that there were six injuries as a result of the collision. The injured persons were the bus driver, four bus passengers, and the driver of the minivan. None of the injuries were considered life threatening.
The minivan was said to have run a red light and hit the right front of the bus. D.C. and Metro Police said the accident is still being investigated, and no arrests have been made.
This is the second accident involving a Metrobus this month. The previous accident occurred on April 13 in the afternoon. In that accident, police reported that a minivan made an improper lane change in front of the bus, and the Metrobus was unable to stop in time. There were non-life-threatening injuries involved with that accident, as well.
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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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