Medical blog » Parenting

4 Students Taken To Hospital After School Bus Wreck

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:40:25 +0000

UNION COUNTY, Fla. – Four students in Union County were rushed to an area hospital on Wednesday after a pickup truck driver rear-ended their school bus.
The wreck took place at about 3:15 p.m. after school on State Road 121 just south of Raiford.
Union County Sheriff’s deputies said a pickup truck driver failed to stop at an intersection and rear-ended the bus.
Four of the students onboard the bus were take to Lake Butler Hospital as a precaution.
Some of the remaining students were picked up by their parents at the scene of the crash and the other students on the school bus were immediately loaded onto another bus and taken to their homes.
Several school staff members were on scene to assist parents, according to the sheriff’s office.
The 16-year-old driver of the pickup truck was taken to Shands Gainesville Medical Center, but is expected to be OK.
The Florida Highway Patrol was investigating the crash. There was no word on whether any charges would be filed.

As economic fears rise, families on verge of unraveling

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:54:27 +0000

Children can do well despite a family’s financial setbacks, says Jana Martin, a psychologist in Long Beach, Calif.
-Parents should explain what is changing and what isn’t, she suggests. “We may have to move, but you’ll get to keep your bed and your favorite things.” Keep as many family routines as possible. If something has to go, try to give options: The family makes pizza together instead of going out.
-Invite teenagers to help brainstorm ways to cut costs and contribute.
-Notice signs of possible worry, such as changes in sleep, crying or isolation from friends. Ask about their fears. Correct misinformation and comfort them.
-Let children know that they can ask questions about changes and that parents will talk about whatever upsets the kids.

FDA Clears Medical Test

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:50:39 +0000

Its unclear exactly what causes asthma. Find out what the experts are saying and get other asthma related questions answered here.
By removing toxins from your home you can make you and your family healthier in the long run. Here are ten ways to do just that.
If youre like most people these days youre feeling the pinch of a tough economy. Find out the best ways to make the most of your money.
Be sure you can spot the signs of poor nutrition and help your aging parents live a healthier life.

Heartless mom of NJ cop charged in DWI death blames couple

admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:38:06 +0000

Heartless mom of N.J. cop charged in DWI death blames couple
,
Monday, February 9th 2009, 1:08 AM
cop who plowed into a young couple – killing a recent law school grad – tried to blame the victims for the crash Sunday.
and her boyfriend were crossing West St. against the light when her son,
, 25, struck them.
“It was her fault,” said the woman, who identified herself only as the officer’s mother.
Cops pointedly refused to say whether the couple had the light or not.
The mom even said there was nothing wrong with Abreu’s drinking and driving.
“So my son went out and had a couple of drinks. He deserves to have a good time now and then,” she said.
southbound on West St. at 3:40 a.m. Saturday when he hit Feng, 26, and
, 26, as they walked home to
after a night of tango dancing, police and family members said.
Feng died at the scene. Loffredo is recovering from injuries to his leg and head at
.
Abreu was charged with vehicular manslaughter and DWI. He was suspended from his job.
None of that mattered to his mom. “My son is a good kid,” Abreu’s mother said. “He doesn’t deserve this.”
Loffredo’s parents tried to counsel their distraught son as they recalled his relationship with his “lovely” girlfriend.
“They met at a Renaissance festival in the Cloisters. He saw her and invited her to tango,” said his mother,
.
Dennis Loffredo only found out Sunday afternoon that Feng had died.
,
, but came to the city most weekends to see Feng.
four years ago.
and was studying to take the bar exam this summer.
“She was a lovely young woman and very sweet,” said
of Manhattan, who was visiting Dennis Loffredo at the hospital.

Wis. Supreme Court tosses suit against Medtronic

admin — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:52:16 +0000

MADISON, Wis.
– Patients cannot sue the makers of potentially unsafe medical devices approved for sale by federal regulators, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The court ruled against a Wisconsin man who had surgery to remove a defibrillator after the manufacturer, Medtronic, Inc., warned its battery had a chance of failing. The ruling is a victory for Minneapolis-based Medtronic and other manufacturers who want to limit product liability.
But two justices warned the decision leaves Wisconsin residents at the mercy of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has a poor track record of ensuring the safety of medical devices.
“The result may be no meaningful protection for Wisconsin patients,” Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote.
At issue was whether patients could sue in state court over medical devices that received market approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Under a 1976 federal law, companies must prove the safety and effectiveness of such devices to the FDA before they can enter the marketplace.
Joseph Blunt, Sr., 63, of St. Francis, had a Medtronic Marquis 7230 defibrillator implanted in 2004 to try to prevent his heart from failing.
The company warned the following year the devices’ batteries might fail in one out of 10,000 patients, which could lead to a potentially fatal loss of power. Many patients, including Blunt, had surgery to remove the devices.
The company knew of the problem more than two years earlier but kept selling the product. The FDA did not order a recall or withdraw its 2002 approval. In the meantime, Medtronic obtained approval from the FDA in 2003 to also sell an identical device with fixed batteries.
Blunt filed a lawsuit in Milwaukee County Circuit Court against Medtronic after his surgery, alleging the company was negligent for continuing to sell an unsafe device. A judge and an appeals court both ruled the lawsuit was not allowed under federal law.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that state lawsuits were barred in a similar case involving a malfunctioning heart catheter sold by Medtronic.
All seven Wisconsin justices agreed that ruling meant Blunt’s case must be dismissed. In the majority opinion, Justice Patience Roggensack said the FDA’s approval of the defibrillator with the fixed battery did not affect the approval of the original.
“It’s a sorry day when the law of the land is that a medical device manufacturer is free to sell less-safe, obsolete medical devices to clear out its inventory after having received FDA approval for a safer device,” said Blunt’s lawyer, John Cabaniss.
Two concurring justices — Walsh Bradley and Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson — criticized the U.S. Supreme Court decision but said they must follow it. The decision leaves Wisconsin residents’ safety in the hands of the flawed FDA, Walsh Braldey wrote.
She cited a letter from FDA scientists released last month that charged “the scientific review process for medical devices at FDA has been corrupted and distorted by current FDA managers, thereby placing the American people at risk.”
“It is not at all apparent that the FDA approval process actually guarantees a minimum level of safety for medical devices,” Walsh Bradley wrote.
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state’s powerful business lobby, and the Product Liability Advisory Council had urged the court to dismiss the lawsuit.
The council, a national group whose members include auto, pharmaceutical, chemical and electronics makers, said allowing the lawsuit would drive up the costs of lifesaving medical devices and hamper product innovations.
But the Wisconsin Association of Justice, which represents trial lawyers, said dismissing it would shield companies from being held accountable for marketing dangerous products.

MCUW helps Lone Star clinic

admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:14:20 +0000

Montgomery County United Way funding is helping things grow at Lone Star Family Health Center.
An MCUW grant enabled Lone Star to purchase “Medicaider” software to help staff members expand financial options so more services are available to the nearly 45,000 patients the center sees annually.
“We are a comprehensive family medical clinic, which means we can provide a wide array of services to all age groups,” said Jay Jezierski, Lone Star community outreach director. “Because our patients are underserved, they utilize many of the services provided by other United Way-funded agencies.”
Using the “Medicaider” software, Lone Star staff members can identify state, national and regional resources available to patients who do not have insurance.
Lone Star employs 29 physicians and three mid-level providers and also serves as a training program for family medicine physicians.
In addition to benefiting from MCUW funding, Lone Star contributed more than $4,300 to the 2008-09 MCUW campaign when nonprofits are watching expenses, according to an MCUW press release.
Lone Star is a federally qualified health center that offers a certified diabetes educational program, Jezierski said. Although it is open throughout the week, Lone Star also offers an after-hours clinic from 5-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
To help get more information out to the public, MCUW’s Success by 6 recently donated $3,000 to purchase 1,000 parent guides to inform parents about when and when not to use the emergency room. The guides are available at Lone Star and other nonprofit organizations.
MCUW is raising funds for its annual campaign. The goal is to raise $3.65 million by March. The amount raised so far is $2.840 million, or 77.8 percent of the goal.
To learn more about MCUW and to donate, visit
.
To learn more about Lone Star, call (936) 539-4004 or visit
.
* To learn more about Lone Star Family Health Center, call (936) 539-4004 or visit
.
* To learn more about Montgomery County United Way and to donate, visit
.

Parents may test own children for drugs

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:03:13 +0000

FARGO (AP) â Parents of Fargo middle school students can soon test their children for drugs.
Project 7th Grade, a Phoenix, Ariz.-based group, provides the kits to school systems, police and other organizations at no charge. The tests rely on urine samples.
Sullivan Middle school is the only school in North Dakota participating in the project, officials said.
âNo family, no schools are exempt,â Fargo police officer Mike Clower said. âThis is an opportunity to empower parents.â
Clower, the school resource officer at Sullivan Middle School and Shanley High School, is hosting a parents meeting Wednesday to educate parents about drug use among teens.
âThereâs a need everywhere,â Clower said. âThese are happening in Fargo. Iâve seen it.â
Clower will provide parents with drug use statistics and symptoms, and show them drug paraphernalia so they can recognize what can sometimes be hidden signs. Clower said kids who use drugs typically do so for two years before a parent finds out.
âYou think itâs normal adolescent behavior for a while,â parent Marsha Nygaard said. âYou ride it out for a while in hopes things get better.â
Clower will give out 50 free drug testing kits to parents Wednesday.
The program and materials are provided by a national organization called Not My Kid, which sponsors a drug prevention course called Project 7th Grade.
âIf you get them in middle school, you actually still have a chance to make an impact on a few,â Clower said. Drug use triples between sixth and eighth grade, he said. âItâs a lot harder at the high school level.â
A 2008 Fargo Cass Public Health survey found that about 18 percent of Fargo ninth- through 12th-graders used marijuana last year.

Watch Out for Peanut-Based Treats, FDA Warns

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:49:43 +0000

January 26, 2009
NEW YORK — Warning: Peanut butter products could leave your pets at risk for salmonella, according to the Federal Drug Administration, which issued an alert on Sunday.
More brands and major pet product stores are now likely to follow the lead of PetSmart, which preemptively recalled seven Grreat Choice dog biscuit products last Tuesday.
The FDA has now listed 12 sources, both grocery stores and brands, from which it has identified potentially contaminated food.
Pet owners should be weary of purchasing peanut butter or peanut paste-based pet products from Avanza Supermarket, Econofoods, Family Fresh Market, Family Thrift Center, Food Bonanza, SunMart Foods, Shoppers Valu, Prairie Market, Wholesale Food Outlet and Ohio-based locations of Pick’n Save.
Mainstream products like Jiffy and Skippy have been cleared, for now, but owners should think twice about the grocery stores’ own brand of product.
Stores have also been pulling Happy Tails’ biscuits from their shelves.
PetSmart, which has more than 1,100 stores in the U.S. and Canada, determined that the assorted biscuits sold between Aug. 21, 2008 and Jan. 19, 2009, contain the peanut butter ingredient linked to the FDA’s initial salmonella warning, as Pet Pulse previously reported.
“While some of these products have been tested and no traces of salmonella were found, we have recalled these products as a precautionary measure,” said PetSmart in a message issued on its Web site. “Because of this potential risk, we’re immediately removing these products from our shelves and Web site.”
The FDA continues to conduct a “very active and dynamic investigation,” according to its press release. Peanut Corp. of America, however, is seemingly at the heart of the crisis, with its Blakely, Ga., plant under scrutiny.
Salmonella is a contagious infection that can cause medical complications relating to gastroenteritis, and can prove especially harmful to young children or elderly people. Pets who have encountered Salmonella infections may appear lethargic, or have diarrhea, vomiting and a fever.
Healthy animals with strong immune systems, however, may not exhibit extreme symptoms of salmonella, even if they are infected. Young puppies, elderly and pregnant dogs are most at risk.
Seemingly healthy animals stand the risk of acting as carriers and transferring the infection to other pets or humans.
The ASPCA has also advised pet owners to proceed with caution at the grocery or pet product store.
“It’s essential that pet parents take steps to protect both themselves and their animal companions from exposure,” Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine of the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, told The San Francisco Chronicle.
So far, no animal deaths have been linked to this recent outbreak. At least 495 humans, however, have reportedly contracted salmonella within the past few weeks.
Consumers who have packages of food made with peanut products should check with the manufacturer or consult the FDA recall list, which can be accessed at Fda.gov. Anyone who is not sure about a product’s ingredients should withhold the treat from a pet.
Tell us what you think about “Watch Out for Peanut-Based Treats, FDA Warns” below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204.
The Associated Content, MSNBC, Newsday and The San Francisco Chronicle contributed to this article.

Suspect in EMT's shooting is slain

admin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:47:53 +0000

GLASGOW, Mont. – Authorities were investigating yesterday the link between a shooting suspect and the woman he allegedly killed outside a hospital.
The suspect also wounded two people who came to the victim’s aid late Saturday. Officers found him after following a trail of blood, and the suspect was killed in a shooting involving police. Police declined to identify him.
At least 50 federal and local agents using tracker dogs followed the suspect to a house south of town late Saturday, a sheriff’s spokeswoman Samar Fay said.
Melissa Greenhagen, 37, a part-time emergency medical technician, was fatally shot outside Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital late Saturday afternoon. The gunman also fired on a hospital nurse and her husband, who went to assist the technician. Those victims were in stable condition, a hospital spokesman said.
TACOMA, Wash. – Investigators were examining pieces of the drive train from a truck yesterday to learn why parts tore off the truck and struck and killed a 6-year-old boy and injured another spectator at a monster truck show.
Witnesses described the boy, Sebastian Hizey, being struck in the head by a Frisbee-size chunk of metal that tore off a truck doing doughnuts during the Monster Jam show Friday night in the Tacoma Dome.
Police gathered loose parts of the drive train and the drive train loop, a special monster truck device that is supposed to hold the drive train on the vehicle, Bill Easterling, senior operations director for Feld Motor Sports of Aurora, Ill., said yesterday.
SPRING LAKE PARK, Minn. – Army Spec. Gwen Beberg has been reunited with Ratchet, the puppy she bonded with after saving him from a burning trash pile in Iraq.
Beberg returned home Saturday after being stationed in Kentucky since she returned from Iraq. She and another soldier rescued the then- 4-week-old puppy in May and a rescue group arranged his trip to Minnesota in October.
The dog stayed with Beberg’s parents until her return. The U.S. military initially blocked the dog from leaving because it said American troops could not be responsible for its transportation. The dog was put onto a charter flight instead.
in Orlando, Fla., found a 1-year-old boy crawling around her yard yesterday morning, after authorities say the child was abducted when the car in which he was sitting was stolen. Deputies said Jamir Abduli Worgs’ mother lent the car to a man who drove it to a known drug house, where it was stolen.
early Saturday at Akron Children’s Hospital, flooding part of the emergency room and the intensive care unit for infants. A spokeswoman said the Ohio hospital staff had to move 39 babies out of the unit.

Atkins Diet tries comeback with print, Web campaign

admin — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:54:41 +0000

Atkins Diet tries comeback with print, Web campaign
Actress Courtney Thorne-Smith is the new face of the Atkins Diet, which is the focus of a new print and online campaign. The effort from parent company
, which bears the tagline “Sweet, Sexy, Science,” is meant to portray the diet plan in a “more contemporary” and “less clinical” light, according to this article.
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