Seven weeks into the Salmonella Outbreak investigation and federal health officials are still finding it difficult to pinpoint the method of delivery. Cilantro and jalapenos are now under the same suspicious umbrella as tomatoes. Many find it is easy to fault the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control for their inability to zero in on the source and food type of contamination.

“This has gone on longer and has been more complicated than anything I've worked on at FDA,” expressed Dr. David Acheson the FDA’s food safety chief told AP Television. Many are comparing the spinach E.coli outbreak from 2006, but officials say this is different. The spinach affected was packaged with a barcode, the cilantro, tomatoes and jalapenos are sold as fresh produce with no barcode. “We really, really got spoiled, if you will, with the spinach outbreak,” Dr. Robert Tauxe, food safety chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press. In the spinach outbreak victims could remember what they ate, but in this episode the stricken have difficulty remembering as well as differing food items. They say, "'Well, I'm not sure, I may have had guacamole, or a garnish," Tauxe said.

Continue reading "Largest Salmonella Outbreak in History Still Mystery" »

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Drug makers are starting to feel the pinch from the removal of their defective drugs from the market. It is cutting into their profits and delaying their chances of making money on new blockbuster treatments. Big Pharma is blaming the fact that it is taking longer for the Food and Drug Administration to approve their new drugs. For example Merck & Co executives, the recalled http://www.burgsimpson.com/vioxx.html manufactures, say they are facing a tough new regulatory climate that is delaying drug development. Over the last 16 months, Schering-Plough Corp. has pulled the plug on two drug development projects, one for obesity and the other for cholesterol, and considering pulling a third project. Chief Executive Fred Hassan believes the reason lies in the intensified focus on safety and the diminished tolerance for side effects. With the diabetes drug Avandia causing an increase of heart failure in some patients and the Ortho Evra birth-control patch causing blood clots and in some cases death, is it a wonder the FDA is taking longer? Drug companies are required to clear their new drugs with the FDA. If they want their products to come to market faster they need to focus their attention on screening their own products so that there is assurance that good and safe drugs are being released to the industry rather than making money.

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The Centers for Disease Control is reporting 756 confirmed illnesses due to the salmonella contaminated tomatoes in what has become the nation’s largest outbreak of salmonella from tomatoes ever. At least 95 people have been hospitalized. The latest known illnesses occurred on June 13. The Food and Drug Administration and the CDC have yet to find the source. FDA investigators have recently spent a week in parts of Florida and Mexico inspecting farms to pinpoint the area of contamination. The two agencies continue to urge consumers nationwide to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries the FDA has cleared. Grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached have been deemed safe for consumption. Salmonella is a bacterial infection causing fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, often caused by eating foods contaminated with animal feces.

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An Edmonton, Alberta woman suffered permanent neurological damage after a chiropractic adjustment she underwent in September 2007. When Sandra Gay Nette visited her chiropractor she felt ill on her way home so she pulled her car to the side of the road and called her husband for help. This symptom was a prelude to the injury she was to permanently suffer. She is now unable to swallow, speak or breathe on her own and requires 24-hour care, yet she still possesses normal mental awareness. In response to her catastrophic injuries she has launched a $529 million class-action lawsuit against her chiropractor, the Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors and Alberta Health and Wellness. As part of the class action, the suit is claiming damages of $500 million against chiropractors in the province for “inappropriate and non-beneficial adjustments” on behalf of any injured patients since June 1998. Nette and her husband are claiming $29 million in damages. The claim states that both the chiropractic association and Alberta Health and Wellness should have known that the procedure used on her has not been scientifically proven and could pose risks to a patient's health. Alberta Health was aware that the province's chiropractic system was confused, poorly regulated and presented a major health risk, according to the lawsuit. A judge will have to certify the class-action suit before it is allowed to proceed.

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The Salmonella-tainted tomato illnesses have expanded to include 17 states said U.S health officials. As of Wednesday June 11, the number of reported cases has risen to 167. Representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said they have yet to determine the source of the Salmonella outbreak, which has hit New Mexico and Texas the hardest. Officials said the earliest reported onset of illness was on April 16 and that the latest was May 27. Of the 167 cases reported, 23 have resulted in hospitalization. Chief of the CDC’s OutbreakNet Team, Ian Williams said that the latest poisoning scare has yet to be associated with any specific restaurants or grocery stores. The tomato recall includes raw plum, Roma and round tomatoes. Tomatoes from the central region of Florida are under investigation, but the FDA has not ruled out Mexico which produces 84 percent of the tomatoes imported by the United States. Salmonella bacteria produce symptoms including fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain and generally appear within 12 to 72 hours of eating tainted food. The current outbreak is caused by an uncommon type of bacteria known as Salmonella Saintpaul.

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A former nuclear pharmacist was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988. In February of 2006, Larry Schultz, went to St. Luke’s Medical Center for a drug injection to be administered via his spine that was to relieve spasticity resulting from his disease. A medical resident at the hospital administered the drug Baclofen and Reno-60 into the spine. Unfortunately, Reno-60 was labeled that it was not to be used in spinal injections. The mistake resulted in severe spasticity, seizures and neurological damage, including fractures to three vertebrae and his hips. Schultz required further surgery and was condemned to a wheelchair. A jury awarded him more than $10 million in damages for the catastrophic injuries he suffered as a result of the mistake.

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It appears city water in Alamosa, Colorado may be contaminated with Salmonella. So far there have been 47 confirmed and 76 suspected cases in the Southern Colorado town. Health officials are investigating whether the outbreak was caused by tainted tap water. The water has tested positive for the bacteria, but final tests results for confirmation have yet to be revealed. It is not known at this time what has caused the Salmonella contamination. Health officials have warned residents to boil tap water for 15 seconds to kill the bacteria, or use bottled water for brushing teeth, washing dishes, making ice, cooking, drinking and making baby formula. They said people can use tap water to bathe, as long as they are careful not to ingest it. Currently, city and county officials have set up four centers where residents can get free bottled water or access to safe water, but they are limited to one gallon of free water per day per person. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach pain. Victims typically recover, but the elderly, infants and people with impaired immune systems may require treatment. Untreated, salmonella can cause death in vulnerable victims. Authorities said the first salmonella victim began showing symptoms around March 8.

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The Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program was designed in the late 1980s and was created for children whose conditions stem from oxygen loss at the time of delivery. In the 1970s, the Virginia legislature capped awards in medical malpractice lawsuits at $1 million, but the cap is increasing because of inflation and will reach $2 million this year. The program was started as an alternative to victims seeking compensation due to injury. Children who have been in the program have lived longer than was initially expected when it began so the financial stability is questionable. In 2000 the program was at risk of running out of money. Some of the factors advanced were long-term cost inaccuracies, non-collection of fees from doctors, hospitals and insurance companies and the purchase of close to 25 houses for some families enrolled. Today, there is enough to last another 20 years, but program officials estimate at least $100 million more is needed for expenses beyond that. Retired obstetrician, Susan Lucas chairs the program’s board. She said when the program was initiated 20 years ago; they did not expect the children to live much past 5. If they did live, it was expected that they would become residents in facilities that would be covered by federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. "Things are very different now,'' Lucas said. Average medical expenses are estimated at $2.2 million over a child's lifetime. Now, most of the children live at home but are incapable of performing basic tasks. As of December 31st, 109 children from an original 136 were in the program. Attorney Ann Jones has helped enroll about 30 children and says most of the parents have no idea the program is in trouble. “Most don't know what's going on,” she said. Representatives from the medical, hospital and insurance industries began meeting in 2006 to search for a financial solution. Some parents, such as David Keeler, learned about the meetings and pressed to be included. “These people have put themselves before the children,” said Keeler, whose 14-year-old son, Kyle, is in the program. “I've seen this program that served children, a bright shining example in the country, turn into a complete embarrassment.” In a legislative effort to reduce victims legal recourse, unintended consequences have caused the very people the program was intended to cover, at risk of being abandoned.

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A Nevada clinic is the latest site of Hepatitis C exposure and possible HIV exposure when an investigation by health department officials determined that “unsafe injection practices related to the administration of anesthesia medication might have exposed patients to the blood of other patients.” Six people underwent procedures at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, five were treated the same day in September and the sixth is believed to have been infected in July. The Southern Nevada Health District believes about 40,000 more people should be tested for the viruses. Officials said the unsafe practices had been in place for several years and may have put others at risk. About 40,000 patients who received injections of anesthesia at the clinic will be told of the potential exposure in letters being sent out. Officials are encouraging anyone who received anesthesia at the clinic from March 2004 to January 11, 2008 to be tested, “We are recommending all patients during this time frame to get tested because we cannot determine which patients may have been exposed, chief health officer Lawrence Sands said. Hepatitis C is a chronic, potentially fatal virus that can cause liver ailments, including cancer and liver failure. The health district says it typically receives reports of two acute cases each year. Three of the six cases reported this year are acute. The virus may have been spread when clinic staff reused syringes and used a single dose of anesthesia medication on multiple patients, the district said.

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Catherine O’Donnell, 86, underwent hip replacement surgery on Oct 6. and never regained consciousness. After surgery, while still under anesthesia she fell through a gap in an orthopedic surgical table after a nurse removed a safety strap around her torso in preparation of transferring her to a hospital bed. Her head slammed into the floor, fracturing her skull and causing internal bleeding. Hours after O'Donnell fell, she underwent surgery again to relieve the pressure of the bleeding on her brain. Catherine O’Donnell died a week later on Oct. 13. The Boston Medical Center, said the hospital has since changed it’s procedures to prevent further accidents in the future. Paul Dreyer, director of the Health Department's Bureau of Heath Care Safety and Quality, reviews an average of 800 serious injuries and medical errors involving patients at 90 Massachusetts hospitals a year. About 400 to 500 involve patients hurt in falls. A wrongful-death suit has been filed and names four defendants who were allegedly in the operating room at the time: an anesthesiology resident; an orthopedic resident; and two nurses.

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Denver, Colorado’s Craig Hospital is known as the premier medical facility for those who have suffered catastrophic spinal-cord and traumatic brain injuries. Recently it was home to Jenny McCune of Bozeman, Montana. While riding her bicycle 6 months ago McCune took a turn too wide and crashed into a ravine suffering a spinal-cord injury that left her paralyzed from her shoulders down. Fortunately, the crash did not sever her spinal-cord, only shook it badly enough to cause severe bruising resulting in paralysis. Prior to her accident she was a bike club president, Team Delphine rider and an elite athlete. After two weeks in the hospital she was stable enough to be moved Craig Hospital in Denver. At that time she could only lift her hand into a thumbs-up position. Now after 6 months of rehabilitation therapy she can now slowly type on a keyboard, use her cell phone, feed herself, dress and walk with assistance. Here progress is far beyond her doctor’s expectations.

Continue reading "Former Bicyclist Expected to Make Full Recovery from Spinal Injury" »

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The January edition of Nature Medicine published an article on a new discovery for people who have suffered catastrophic spinal cord injuries. This discovery could lead to new therapies for the estimated 250,000 Americans who have been paralyzed. According to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation an additional 10,000 occur each year. It was once thought that if the spinal cord route was blocked by an injury the brain could not communicate to control walking. The study out of UCLA has shown that the central nervous system can reorganize and follow new pathways to restore the communication needed to move. Lead author and professor of neurobiology Dr. Micahel Sofoniew at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA explains it this way, “Imagine the long nerve fibers that run between the cells in the brain and lower spinal cord as major freeways. When there’s a traffic accident on the freeway, what do drivers do? They take shorter surface streets. These detours aren’t as fast or direct, but still allow drivers to reach their destination. We saw something similar in our research,” he added. “When spinal cord damage blocked direct signals from the brain, under certain conditions the messages were able to make detours around the injury. The message would follow a series of shorter connections to deliver the brain’s command to move the legs.” Sofroniew and his colleagues blocked half of the long nerve fibers in different places on each side of the spinal cord in mice. They did nothing to the spinal cord’s center. Most of the mice regained limited mobility in their legs within eight weeks. Sofroniew concludes with, “Our study has identified cells that we can target to try to restore communication between the brain and spinal cord. If we can use existing nerve connections instead of attempting to rebuild the nervous system the way it existed before injury, our job of repairing spinal cord damage will become much easier.”

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China is facing further difficulties in their relationship with the global economy when their exported toy, Aqua Dots, poisoned several children in the U.S. China’s government has suspended its worldwide export of the toy covered with a toxic chemical that metabolizes into a “date rape” drug when ingested. Nine children have been confirmed as ingesting the toy beads and sickening them, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Tests showed the Aqua Dots were coated with the industrial chemical 1,4-butanediol. The “date rape” chemical is known as gamma hydroxy butyrate and may cause breathing problems, loss of consciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death. In addition to the nine in the U.S., three children in Australia have also been stricken. In the U.S six of the children hospitalized came from Texas, Delaware, New Hampshire, Illinois and Utah. The U.S. recall covers 4.2 million of the Aqua Dots toys, which are colored beads that can be made into designs and then fused together when sprayed with water. The recall is the latest in a host of product quality issues that has tarnished the image of the country as an exporter of reliable goods. Australia-based Moose Enterprises, the toy’s maker has said the product was manufactured in China, but neither the company nor the Chinese government has identified the factory or factories where they were produced. Companies worldwide are increasingly outsourcing manufacturing. Often choosing Chinese factories for their cost and quality, but burgeoning competition among factories and the rising cost of labor, land and fuel are putting pressure on profits, causing some producers to cut corners. Aqua Dots were supposed to have been coated with the nontoxic 1,5-pentanediol, a chemical commonly used in computer printer ink, but that chemical generally sells for three or four times the price of the toxic compound 1,4-butanediol found on the toys.

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A night in August 2005 would change the life of a 29 year-old forever. Ryan Reitmeyer was driving a Sea Ray Jet Ski when he ran into a 35 foot boat cabin. He hit the left side of his head and was in a coma for more than a month. His brain was swollen with a traumatic brain injury. The doctors removed part of his brain after a CT scan revealed the part that controls speech was hemorrhaging. The doctors said that Ryan would probably die, and if not that he would never be able to speak or feed himself again. Even after surviving, the medical professionals warned the Reitmeyers that their son would need anti-seizure medications, intense therapy and probably lifelong supervision. His central nervous system was still damaged so the doctors suggested activities to encourage neuroplasticity (keeping the brain active so it can heal itself).

Continue reading "Importance of Fiscal Resources to Help in TBI Recovery" »

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A new hope may be made available to people with catastrophic spinal cord injuries. New experimental therapies to be tested in clinical trials could improve the treatment of people with spinal cord and brain injuries as well as stroke or other severe movement disorders. The new therapies include an experimental, custom-made antibody to NOGO-A. NOGO-A is one of several inhibiting proteins to nerve fiber growth that are produced naturally in the human spinal cord and brain. It soon will be evaluated as a therapy for patients who are newly paralyzed from spinal cord injury. NOGO-A is one of several proteins whose existence in the adult body helps to explain the limited ability to grow new brain and spinal cord tissue. These inhibitory proteins are silent during embryonic and fetal development and even during the first few months of an infant's life. They limit the ability of the adult brain and spinal cord neurons to re-grow fibers that have been cut by injury. The study’s objective is to restore the fiber-growing capability of the brain and spinal cord by preventing NOGO-A from fulfilling its function as an inhibitor to fiber growth and regeneration. In the animal trial the anti-NOGO-A antibody enabled damaged spinal cords to partially regenerate and thus restored some motor function. The clinical trial is known as STASCIS and has to date enrolled more than 240 patients. The study is based on the understanding that within hours of a spinal cord injury a patient should undergo surgery to reduce pressure on the cord in order to limit damage. Initial evaluations of the trial have indicated that immediate surgery is safe and encourages the recovery of function.

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The Journal of the American Medical Association wrote in an editorial recently that deaths from staph infections may have exceeded deaths associated with AIDS. The report further explains that more that 90,000 Americans contract the deadly infection each year. The staph infection is drug-resistant, thus called a “superbug”. The rate of infections was reported to be 32 invasive infections per 100,000 people. The staph germ has gone beyond its usual haunts from the traditional hospital setting and expanded into the general health care system. An invasive infection involves those that enter the bloodstream, destroy flesh and can eventually become deadly. Samplings of victims of this “superbug” are people who recently had surgery, were on kidney dialysis, had open wounds or were exposed to medical equipment infected with the germ. The staph bug has recently been found to spread through prisons, gyms and locker rooms and poor urban areas.

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Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett made a statement Wednesday saying he feels lucky to be alive. This was his first public statement since he suffered a catastrophic neck injury on September 9th against the Denver, Broncos. His statement was delivered by Houston’s Memorial Hermann Hospital where he is currently being rehabilitated. He announced that he was able to take a few steps with a walker and has been able to move in his wheelchair. Each is a triumph for such an injury. Most victims of catastrophic inj uries are not so fortunate. Often years of rehabilitation and huge sums of money are dedicated to the support and medical provisioning of the affected person. Although the news is positive for Everett, most catastrophic injury patients’ outcomes are not.

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With football season underway, the Andrews Institute for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Pensacola, Fla., has funded the distribution of a 14-minute video, “Heads Up -- Reducing the Risk of Head and Neck Injuries in Football.” Produced by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), the DVD communicates how athletes should play safe to avoid concussions, neck sprains and catastrophic injuries such as paralysis and quadriplegia. Nearly every high school in the nation, including football coaches and athletic directors, has received copies to share with their athletes prior to the start of the active football season. The DVD emphasizes correct techniques when initiating contact with an opponent. “The best way is to keep your head up, see what you hit and hit with your shoulder,” says Tony Dungy, head coach for the Indianapolis Colts. “It really doesn’t matter what position you play or where you are on the field. The object of the collisions is to deliver a blow and come out of it in great shape.” This in response to the new rule in college and high school which states: No player shall use his helmet (including the face mask) to butt or ram an opponent or attempt to punish him. No player shall strike a runner with the crown or the top of his helmet in an attempt to punish him.

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If you get a credit card, buy a car or sign up for a cell phone plan and you’re unhappy with the transaction chances are a judge will not hear the story. Many consumer contracts include mandatory arbitration clauses that force individuals to go through arbitration, instead of civil court, if a dispute arises. Some of these clauses also ban customers from joining class-action lawsuits. For years, consumer advocates have claimed these clauses are unfair. Now Congress is considering a blanket denial of pre-dispute mandatory arbitration agreements. The Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007, recently introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives, proposes making the clauses unenforceable. "This is, by far, the most comprehensive bill that has been introduced. There have been bills that ban arbitration in the employment section or the banking section," said Paul Bland, a staff attorney with Public Justice, a national nonprofit public-interest law firm in Washington, D.C. Mandatory arbitration clauses tend to give companies, not the public, protection and companies tend to win arbitrations

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Ever get a packet in the mail saying that you are part of a class action lawsuit? You haven’t done anything to participate in the lawsuit and otherwise weren’t planning to sue anyone, but the information says that you might be able to recover money. So the question remains, what is a class action? In short, a class action is a lawsuit filed by one or more people on behalf of themselves and a larger group of people who are facing the same issues. It is the procedural device used in litigation for determining the rights and remedies for large numbers of people whose cases involve common questions of fact and law.

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When you have been injured by an individual or a group then you should seek the advice of a personal injury attorney. Typically the personal injury attorney will specialize in the specific area of injury. When involved in a personal injury, do not reach a settlement with an insurance company without first consulting a personal injury attorney. Personal injury attorneys can help by obtaining payments for such areas as: lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, rental car fees (if applicable) and distress payments. The attorney is bound to fight and get the highest possible settlement. In most cases a personal injury attorney will provide a free consultation.

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In Canadian provinces that have adopted mandatory helmet legislation for children, bicycle-related head injuries have fallen 45%, compared with a 27% drop in provinces that have not mandated helmet use. More surprising is that among adults cycling-related head injuries continue to increase. In Ontario, which has helmet laws for children but not adults, say injuries have soared 20% over the past three years. A discrepancy that has led to renewed calls for all-ages legislation. To date most legislation has focused on children, for whom cycling is one of the leading causes of traumatic injury. (Only three provinces, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have all-ages helmet laws.)

Continue reading "Legislation encouraged for Adults wearing bike helmets" »

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A Canadian rodeo researcher is creating an international registry to record catastrophic injury to cowboys. The information could eventually lead to an international center for rodeo research excellence that would pull together education of cowboys, healthcare professionals and clinicians, according to University of Calgary sports epidemiologist Dale Butterwick. "As of today, anyone, anywhere in the world can access this database and report a catastrophic injury," Butterwick said in a statement. "By catastrophic we mean life-changing, losing a major organ, paralysis, even death. We need to know how these injuries occur and how often before we can meaningfully look for interventions." Once a catastrophic injury has occurred, Butterwick and a team of epidemiologists from the Cowboy's Professional Rodeo Association and the University of Calgary faculty of kinesiology will investigate the report to fully understand how the injury occurred and what might be done to prevent it in the future. Butterwick said he hopes this information will lead to increased safety for rodeo athletes and that the data will enhance support for research into rodeo injury prevention.

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A 60 year old woman and her 20 year old granddaughter were mauled by a pit bull last week when they visited an Aurora home near South Parker Road and East Quincy Avenue. Although the residents of the house weren't home, other visitors at the house tried to stop the attack by stabbing the dog with a large kitchen knife before calling police.

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A New Zealand sailor who lost four fingers in an accident aboard a fishing boat has had three fingers reattached in a different order to save his hand function. The man, 24, lost his fingers on his right hand when a hatch fell on it aboard a fishing trawler on Sunday night. The fingers were kept on ice while the trawler made its way to shore and a rescue helicopter transferred the man to the hospital. The plastic surgeons spent more than nine hours of complicated surgery reattaching three of the fingers. The little finger was reportedly too badly "pulverized" to be reattached. So the strongest fingers were put on closest to the man's thumb, which was intact. The middle finger had been put where the man's index finger had previously been, his ring finger in the middle finger's position and his index finger where the ring finger had been. A leech had been put on the end of the ring finger to improve blood flow. "There's a good artery bringing blood in. The leech is helping to drain blood out,” one of the surgeons said. By Wednesday morning about 12 leeches had been used and more needed to be flown up. Although not often used, leeches were sometimes "excellent" for helping until the body was able to repair itself. The surgeon said the fingers had been crushed and torn in the accident, so that made reattaching them difficult. The man's fingers had the tendons that move the fingers torn out of his forearm and there was no way to reattach those tendons to the muscle. His ability to move his fingers would be limited and he might benefit from reconstructive surgery in the future said his doctor.

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The night of July 10th sick children aboard a Lake Powell houseboat, including a vomiting baby who appeared to be having a seizure, were a family's first clue something was wrong. Before the night ended 21 people aboard the boat were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning in what one longtime Lake Powell physician's assistant called the largest case of carbon monoxide poisoning he had seen. None of the victims died or required transportation to a hospital. It was the third such poisoning in less than a week at Lake Powell. The victims in Tuesday's mass poisoning were among 40 people who were aboard the boat for a family reunion, said the National Park Service ranger at Bullfrog Marina. The children were sleeping in the rear of the boat next to an open window while a generator there was running to power the air conditioning. The family brought the sick children to the marina in a speedboat. Then rangers received word there were others on the boat also showing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Eventually, 36 people went to the marina's medical clinic for an examination, of those, 21 received treatment. The number of victims taxed the marina's medical clinic, which has three beds and typically does not have a doctor present. The family members were lined up outside the clinic waiting for oxygen treatment. "If the baby hadn't alerted everybody by having the first symptoms," the ranger said, "and [without] the mother waking everybody up we probably could have lost some of the children."

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54-year-old Joseph Martinez of Aurora, CO, is a cement finisher by trade and an ex-Marine who teaches karate. He was injured in a construction accident two months ago after falling 15-feet off a ladder onto concrete inside a Denver Water pump station under construction. He landed on his feet and broke his femur, heel and a bone in his spine. "The last few feet was like slow motion. When I hit, I heard it go crush." In the past few days he's been learning how to walk again. It took firefighters 45 minutes to rescue him. "They couldn't get to me. They had to climb up 30 feet, then down 30 feet, then walk over to get me," says Martinez. He said the firefighters helped comfort him during a very scary situation. "He kept hearing me go, 'hoowa' because it hurt. And he said, 'You're a Marine aren't you?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Semper Fi,' which means always faithful." Martinez hopes to be out of the care center in two weeks.

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A Superior Court civil jury has awarded an estimated $96 million in future damages in the case of a child who developed a rare but serious neurological disorder caused by untreated jaundice shortly after his birth four years ago. The jury's 9-3 verdict is calculated in two ways. The current value of the award is $15 million, but it is expected to reach $96 million over the course of medical care for the boy during his lifetime, said attorneys for Aidan Ming-Ho Leung. That would make it one of the largest jury awards in recent California court history. Aidan was born March 24, 2003, at Verdugo Hills Hospital under the care of Dr. Steven Wayne Nishibayashi, who also was listed as a defendant in the case. According to the lawsuit, Aidan exhibited several risk factors for kernicterus, a neurological disorder that can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy and hearing loss, when he developed jaundice shortly after birth. The jaundice was a sign of the buildup of bilirubin, a yellow bile pigment, produced in greater quantities than a baby's liver can excrete. Aidan, now 4, requires constant medical attention, said Phan, whose firm employs Aidan's father. "He has normal intelligence, but he can't walk. He can't talk, can't feed himself. He can't control a single muscle and it was all preventable," Phan said.

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The incidence of catastrophic head injuries in football is dramatically higher at the high school level than at the college level, according to a study published in the July issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine. Catastrophic head injuries, which include brain bleeding and swelling, are rare and can be devastating. Athletes with major brain injuries may be left with permanent brain damage. According to lead author, Barry P. Boden, M.D., from the Orthopedic Center in Rockville, Md., high school football players have more than three times the risk of a catastrophic head injury than their college peers. Boden and coauthors also found a high percentage of high school athletes playing with neurologic symptoms from a previous head injury at the time they sustained a catastrophic injury.

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Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 06:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

BP's outgoing refining chief testified in a deposition last year that he first learned of serious safety concerns at the company's Texas City refinery in March 2005 when 15 people died in an explosion there, despite internal reports and warnings of potential danger. Plaintiffs' attorney Anthony Buzbee asked in the September 2006 deposition, "Before that, you had no idea that there was a risk of catastrophic injury?" Manzoni replied that had he been aware that catastrophic failure could occur BP would have taken action earlier. Manzoni's deposition was among hundreds of pages of blast-related documents and depositions made public June 11th under a Galveston judge's order. The release came less than two weeks after Manzoni resigned as refining chief. BP spokesman Neil Chapman declined to comment on whether the release of the documents played a role in Manzoni's departure.

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Posted by David P. Hersh at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Althea LaCoste was recovering from pneumonia and needed a ventilator to help her breathe when her family took her to Pendleton Methodist Hospital the day before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans. She was admitted. The hospital lost power during the hurricane, and its backup generator also failed. Hospital staff was forced to evacuate many patients after the Hurricane, but LaCoste was not evacuated. She died at the hospital.

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Posted by Scott J. Eldredge at 09:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Outdoor recreation groups are alarmed because some carriers refuse to pay medical bills for injuries suffered in high-risk activities. Health insurance coverage may be denied if you’re injured while participating in horseback riding, snowmobiling, motorcycle and all-terrain-vehicle riding, skiing and other outdoor pursuits. A very large loophole in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, remains open. It’s being called health care discrimination. HIPAA was enacted to protect those involved in legal transportation and recreational activities, but according to outdoor recreation groups, its language can deny coverage because the way an injury occurred. For instance, if you break a bone tripping over a little boy’s scooter, the medical bills are covered. If the same bone is broken in a skiing accident, coverage may be denied. “I’m sure there are lots of horseback riders and snowmobilers who have no clue this is out there,” says Pam Gluck, executive director of American Trails, a Redding, Calif. based national, nonprofit organization. “If people who pay premium dollars are being denied coverage, it defeats the intent of HIPAA,” says Carla Varriale, a partner in the New York law firm Havkins Rosenfeld Ritzert & Varriale. “From a policy point of view, you could debate both sides, but it’s definitely something worth watching.” Varriale, who has done extensive insurance coverage litigation, enjoys horseback riding and motorcycling during leisure hours. “It flies in the face of the intent of the act,” she said. “These are otherwise legal activities and it seems heavy-handed in our private lives. And I’m a bit uncomfortable about who defines ‘risky.’ ” Outdoor-recreation groups have found sympathetic supporters in Congress. Bipartisan legislation to close the so-called HIPAA loophole is in committee while the Senate and House address the war in Iraq and other issues. While understandable, the delay is unsettling to outdoor enthusiasts.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A baby who initially was said to have been dropped on a linoleum floor suffered skull fractures, two wrist fractures, broken ribs on both sides and a broken ankle, prosecutors said Friday. Leonardo Gonzalez's massive injuries were detailed as his mother, Joanna Michelle Vasquez, 22, made her first court appearance to face a capital murder charge. The 2½-month-old boy died April 27 of "catastrophic injuries," prosecutors said. He had been placed on life support shortly after being taken to a hospital on April 24 by Vasquez and her common-law husband, said Assistant District Attorney John Jocher.

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Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)