Red-light cameras can be found at many busy intersections across the U.S. However, Federal Highway Administration research has found that while cameras can reduce red light violations and broadside crashes, they can also increase less serious rear-end accidents caused by people making sudden stops to avoid tickets (Connell, LA Times, 5/19/08). Research of Toronto's red-light cameras showed a 26 % drop in T-bone crashes, while rear-end accidents increased 10 %. Throughout the province, T-bone crashes dropped 25 % while rear-enders increased nearly 50 % (Moloney, The Toronto Star, 3/18/08)!
Minimal damage rear-end or even single car, no crash scenarios can cause whiplash and neck pain. Whiplash can effect your life for days, months, or possibly years. Medical professionals have discovered that severe brainstem injuries can occur during these traumatic events but may go undetected. If you've been in a car accident and suffer from changes in attention span, concentration, emotion, and difficulty sleeping consider being evaluated by your medical practitioner. Doctors may do MRI, PET Scan, or Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response tests to rule out severe damage.
In July of 2007, The New York Times reported that fifty-four light model trucks failed to protect the occupants against neck injuries. ''Any given day, you're more likely to need a good head restraint to protect you from a neck injury than you are an air bag to protect you in a head-on crash,'' said David S. Zuby, senior vice president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Vehicle Research Center (Bunkley, www.nytimes.com, 7/3/07). Automobile manufacturers argue that supportive head and neck rests are not appealing to consumers. However, an increase in rear-end accidents, like those seen with red-light cameras, means a need for more neck support in our automobiles. Which is more important to you comfort or safety?
Hollywood's Dennis Quaid recently spoke to Congress regarding drug overdoses and patient's rights. He advocates for the patient's right to sue pharmaceutical companies. Heparin, a commonly administered blood thinner, has been placed on the hot seat because the packaging for different dosages is very similar. In some cases, infants have been given 1,000 times the recommended dosage! In 2006, three Indianapolis infants died because of this mistake. Each year, 7,000 people die in the U.S. Because of medication errors. (Yost, www.newsday.com, 5/14/08)
A Tucson family was awarded $6 million recently because their mother died of a morphine overdose. Upon hospitalization, she was prescribed one dosage of morphine. Then several days later the dosage was increased replacing the prior dosage. However, when she was transferred to a nursing home, both prescriptions were given to her twice a day causing her to die from acute morphine intoxication. (Flick, www.tucsoncitizen.com, 5/14/08)
Accidental overdoses and drug interactions can cause health complications or death. Inform your doctor and pharmacist of all medications, prescription and over-the-counter, you are taking to insure your personal safety. Always ask questions if you are concerned about anything relating to your prescriptions and treatment. Read all of the information provided with your prescription and all warning labels. And finally, constantly check your prescription refills to verify you have received the correct dosage and pill.
100,000 American patients die each year because of medical errors! Medical errors don't always result in death. Medical malpractice affects the patient and their family and can result in various physical and mental obstacles. It is important to know that doctors and medical staff are fallible. Mistakes occur because of incorrect prescription dosages, medical personnel's action or inaction and, in some cases, their failure to respond.
An infant, born in 2001, of Charlottesville, VA suffers from cerebral palsy and brain damage because of physician's negligence at his birth. During labor and delivery, doctors at University of Virginia Medical Center failed to respond to the infant's condition which caused him to asphyxiate. The infants's parents were relieved last week when a settlement allotted them $1.35 million dollars. While this seems like an astounding amount of money, the infant's long term care will cost approximately $9 million! However, the state of Virginia caps all medical malpractice awards at $1.6 million. This coming summer that cap will increase to $2 million. (McKelway, inRich.com, 5/1/2008)
One way to combat being a medical malpractice casualty is to have a patient advocate with you when entering the hospital for routine or emergency situations. Patient advocates can be family members, friends, or even hired consultants. An advocate should "monitor the medications, review the treatment plan, know the detailed medical history, alert overworked nurses when vital signs go bad, battle for timely attention in a jammed ER, coordinate care as nurses and doctors change shifts, and look out for the comfort, hygiene and mobility (McClain, Arizona Daily Star, 4/27/2008)." While you can't predict an emergency, it is important to arm your patient advocate with your personal vital information, medical history, prescription list, and health concerns so they might speak on your behalf if necessary.
