Disparities Found in Minority Stroke Management

In a report issued by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association and published in AHA journal Stroke on May 26^th, experts have found that treatment of a stroke differs between ethnic minorities and whites in the U.S.

According to Dr. Salvador Cruz-Flores, director of the Souers Stroke Institute at St. Louis University and lead author of the article, there are differences across the board when it comes to stroke management in minorities. Discrepancies are found in overall knowledge of symptoms and risk factors of stroke and wait times experienced at hospital emergency rooms, all the way through to rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Cruz-Flores’ report recommends new guidelines for minority stroke management in an attempt to adjust any differences in care, as well as improve stroke awareness in certain minority groups, especially since many stroke and heart disease risk factors are more prevalent in certain groups.

The report also calls for more available health insurance for ethnic minorities, as many groups do not benefit from advanced stroke management centers because they have deficient health insurance or no insurance at all.

A doctor or hospital’s failure to properly diagnose and treat a stroke is one of the most common medical malpractice errors in the country. If you or a loved one has been the victim of stroke malpractice, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. One of our experienced attorneys will evaluate your potential case for free and answer any questions you may have. We have helped clients with Bronx stroke malpractice, Queens stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Manhattan stroke malpractice and Long Island stroke malpractice. Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM

Study: Medication use during pregnancy becoming more common

According to research appearing in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology out of Boston University Schools of Public Health and Science, more than 80 percent of pregnant women were using at least one medication, either over-the-counter or prescription, by 2008.

Researchers, led by Dr. Allen A. Mitchell, also found that about 50 percent of pregnant women were taking some type of drug during the first trimester of their pregnancy. This data is alarming, as the risk of birth defects resulting from medication use is the most concerning at this stage of pregnancy.

The findings, which are based on data from two separate long-term studies on birth defects, also showed that about 30 percent of pregnant women were using some type of medication during the first trimester thirty years ago, suggesting a 20 percent increase over the past three decades.

The study is significant because in pregnant women, the safety of many drugs is unknown. Medication trials involving pregnant women are extremely rare because of the dangers of exposing pregnant women to medications that have unclear effects.

Often times, birth defects can be prevented, especially those caused by prescription medications administered during pregnancy. If your child was born with a birth defect that could have been prevented, or if your child was injured at birth, call or e-mail the medical malpractice lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today. One of our experienced attorneys will evaluate your case for free. We have helped clients with Queens birth injury, Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Manhattan birth injury and Long Island birth injury matters.

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Closures of Nearly 30% of U.S. ERs over Past 20 Years

A recent study conducted by Dr. Renee Y. Hsia, a University of California assistant professor of emergency medicine, has revealed that over the past two decades, almost 30 percent of emergency rooms in U.S. cities have closed.

Hsia and her colleagues looked at ER closure data from the American Hospital Association from 1990 to 2009. The research team then compared that data with Medicare reports, which detailed hospitals’ financial information, as well as insurance status of patients.

The study found that over these two decades there was a 27 percent decrease in the number of emergency rooms in U.S. cities, going from 2,446 ERs in 1990 to 1,770 in 2009. Over 1,000 ERs were shut down during the 20 year period, while less than 400 new emergency departments opened.

Hsia’s study also revealed that the number of ER visits in the U.S. jumped by 35 percent over the past two decades, despite the number of closures. This means that while more people required emergency medical treatment, there were fewer and fewer emergency departments to treat them, resulting in overcrowding in available ERs and longer wait times for medical attention.

Emergency department closures can cause significantly longer wait times at other ERs for patients waiting to be seen by a doctor. Many patients in need of immediate medical attention experience a delay because of ER and hospital overcrowding, which increases their risk of serious harm or death. If you or a loved one was seriously hurt or died as a result of a hospital’s failure to provide appropriate treatment, call the injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free consultation. We have helped clients with Brooklyn hospital malpractice, Bronx hospital malpractice, Queens hospital malpractice, Manhattan hospital malpractice and Long Island hospital malpractice fight for the justice they deserve.

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Risk of Death Higher for Bowel Patients with Hospital Infection

According to a study published in the April 19^th issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, patients admitted to the hospital for treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have a considerably greater risk of dying if infected with Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two forms of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. The study found that patients with IBD are six times more likely to die if infected with C. difficile in while in the hospital than those who are not infected.

Researchers looked at data on IBD patients hospitalized between 2002 and 2008 and found that for those infected with C. difficile, the death rate was 25 percent. Those not infected with the bacteria had a considerably lower death rate of 3 percent. Researchers also found that IBD patients infected with C. difficile experienced a longer hospital stay than those not infected.

When a patient is on certain antibiotics, C. difficile bacteria can grow because the harmless bacteria in the body that would otherwise fight C. difficile have been eliminated by the antibiotics. Once C. difficile is discovered in a patient, the antibiotic responsible for the infection should be stopped, and in most cases, another antibiotic should be administered to treat the infection.

When a patient develops an infection in the hospital, many times the hospital can be at fault for failing to keep conditions properly sanitized. Many infections are preventable if proper guidelines are followed by doctors and other hospital staff. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or died as a result of a hospital-caused infection, call or e-mail the hospital malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys can answer your questions and evaluate your case free of charge. We have fought for clients with Bronx hospital malpractice, Queens hospital malpractice, Brooklyn hospital malpractice, Manhattan hospital malpractice and Long Island hospital malpractice cases.

Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM