National Dog Bite Prevention Week Highlights Responsibility

Just last month we wrote about the significant injuries that can result when dogs turn aggressive and attack and bite someone.  The Humane Society of the United States reports, there are over 78 million dogs owned by Americans, with nearly 40% of U.S. homes owning at least one dog as a pet.  Keeping Americans safe from these pets is the focus of National Dog Bite Prevention Week that runs May 20-26.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year.  800,000 people will seek medical attention for the bites, and approximately 386,000 of the injured will require treatment in an emergency department.  These statistics translate to a dog bite occurring every 75 seconds in the U.S. with over 1,000 requiring emergency medical care to treat these injuries daily.  Sadly, about 16 Americans die each year from their dog bite wounds. […]

Children Left in Parked Cars at Risk for Heatstroke

In anticipation of another hot summer, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has kicked off a campaign warning Americans of the dangers of leaving children unattended in a hot car.  The NHTSA reminds adults that children left alone in a car, even in the most moderate temperatures, can be seriously injured or die from the heat in the vehicle.

To educate the public, the NHTSA announced its first-ever national campaign to prevent child heatstroke deaths in cars, urging parents and caregivers to think “Where’s baby? Look before you lock.”

The NHTSA reports that 33 children died due to hyperthermia (heatstroke) in 2011. Two children have died due to hyperthermia thus far this year. According to the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, since 1998 there have been at least 529 vehicle-related hyperthermia deaths.  More than half of the deaths occurred in children under 2 years of age, […]

Robotic Drug Dispenser Found to Harbor Harmful Bacteria

Our Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers issued a warning about widespread hospital infections from dirty surgical devices earlier this month.  Now, a new report brings to light yet another medical safety issue – robotic drug dispensers that contain harmful bacteria.

A study that appeared in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology reports medical staff at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem, NC discovered Bacillus cereus bacteria during a quality assurance test of drug samples dispensed by a robot.  Specifically, the robot was being used to prepare intravenous medications in a sterile environment.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports Bacillus cereus is most often associated with food poisoning.  Symptoms caused by the bacteria include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and pain which occurs 6-15 hours after contamination.  Nausea may accompany diarrhea, but vomiting rarely occurs.  Symptoms persist for 24 hours in most instances. […]

Keep Dogs Restrained to Prevent Dog Bites and Attacks

Dogs are touted as being “man’s best friend,” and anyone who has been the recipient of licks or snuggles from their furry friend knows the happiness the unconditional love from a pet can bring.  However, dogs can be unpredictable and dangerous leading to tragic consequences when they attack a person or another pet.

Over the weekend one Scranton, PA, man found out just how dangerous dogs can be when a pit bull began attacking his German shepherd.  Sadly, in order to stop the attack, the pit bull was shot and killed.

Although no persons were injured in the attack over the weekend, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year.  Of those, 800,000 people will seek medical attention for the bites.  The risk of dog bites is highest for children between the ages of five and nine years old.   […]

Widespread Hospital Infection from Dirty Surgical Tools

Scranton, PA, March 30, 2012 — Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer Marion Munley called attention today to an investigative report indicating that hospital administrators and others in the medical field know that dirty surgical instruments are causing many dangerous infections in hospital patients.

A 4,200-word investigative report by the Centers for Public Integrity says hospital managers, surgical equipment manufacturers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been grappling with growing recognition that reusable medical devices are not being cleaned properly between procedures.

“The Centers for Public Integrity report about contaminated surgical instruments implicates hospitals, device manufacturers and oversight agencies in this alarming scandal,” said Munley of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C., a Scranton-based Pennsylvania personal injury firm.

“Not only could hospitals be guilty of negligence in how they clean surgical instruments, […]