New Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations from Task Force

According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 200,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2009. A mammogram is one of the screening tests doctors use to detect breast cancer in women. A mammography screening every year or two for women age 40 and over was the previous recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s, however, that recommendation was recently changed.

The task force recently updated their guidelines for breast cancer screening, recommending that women ages 40 to 49 make a decision on being screened after talking to their doctor about the benefits and risks of a mammogram. Women in their 40s should not receive routine mammograms, according to the group. For women 50 to 74, the task force recommends mammograms every two years.

Data revealed that mammograms detect breast cancer in about 15 percent of women age 40 to 49. However, a percent also receive false positive mammogram results, causing needless biopsies and unnecessary worry. The task force concluded that women in their 40s should discuss having a mammography at present rather than waiting to their 50s.

If you or a loved one has breast cancer medical malpractice questions, call or e-mail the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. Our firm has served clients with Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice and Long Island cancer malpractice cases.

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Birth Injuries Reduced by Cooling

A recent study published in The Lancet Neurology has found that by cooling babies who have been deprived of oxygen at birth, the risk of brain injury is significantly decreased. Many infants who lack oxygen at the time of their birth suffer brain damage, resulting in disabilities that can last a lifetime. However, this new study has found that cooling infants reduces the amount of cerebral lesions caused by oxygen deprivation.

For the study, researchers used MRI scans to observe whether cooling caused fewer brain lesions in 131 newborns. They found that in the infants who were cooled, there were 30 to 40 percent fewer lesions in specific areas of the brain responsible for neurological development. Also, the scans of the cooled infants were three times more likely to be normal than the scans of infants who did not undergo cooling.

One previous research study found that by chilling newborns that were deprived of oxygen at birth, the rates of cerebral palsy could be reduced and motor skills could be improved later on in life.

Oxygen deprivation can cause hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a condition where the cells in the central nervous system are damaged, possibly causing death. A lack of oxygen during birth can also cause cerebral palsy, accounting for roughly 20 percent of CP cases. If your child suffered a birth injury that may have been preventable, call or e-mail our birth injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today. One of our experienced birth injury lawyers will evaluate your case for free.

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Possible Link between Anesthesia Complication and Heat-Related Deaths

According to recent research published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, there may be a link between malignant hyperthermia (MH) and exertional heat illness.

According to the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS), malignant hyperthermia is a “biochemical chain reaction response “triggered” by commonly used general anesthetics and the paralyzing agent succinylcholine within the skeletal muscles of susceptible individuals.” The contents of the skeletal muscles are released into the blood, possibly causing organ failure and death.

However, after review of recent research, Dr. John Capacchione and Dr. Sheila Muldoon of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Maryland discovered substantial similarities between exertional heat illness and MH. The team looked at cases of MH exclusive of anesthesia drugs, finding that these patients collapsed during extreme exertion. Tests found that these people possessed the genetic defect responsible for MH.

Additional research still needs to be conducted to make clear this link between exertional heat deaths and malignant hyperthermia. However, these studied cases do point to a possible link. Unexpected deaths are difficult to deal with. However, when the unexpected death of an individual is caused by the mistake of a doctor or hospital employee, it may be even harder to take. If you believe your loved one was the victim of another’s negligence, call the wrongful death attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free consultation.

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Knowing When to Call Your Infant’s Doctor

A first-time parent is not always certain when their infant’s fussiness is normal and when the child needs to be seen by their pediatrician. Most new parents are over-cautious, calling their baby’s doctor for even the slightest change in behavior. To help identify when medical attention is really necessary, The Nemours Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving children’s health, came up with a list of signs that will alert a parent to call their infant’s doctor.

Contact your child’s pediatrician immediately if:

• Your infant aged 2 months or younger is experiencing a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
• Your infant has rapid and strenuous breathing.
• Your infant appears dehydrated. Signs of this include crying without tears, no urination for longer than six hours, a depressed soft spot on the head or sunken eyes.
• Your infant vomits often and forcefully (past spitting up).
• There is blood in your baby’s diaper or vomit, or if your infant has recurrent diarrhea.
• It is difficult to wake your infant up, or your child is extremely inactive, severely drowsy, or not alert.
  

If an infant is experiencing a medical problem, a delay in treatment can have severe consequences. If your child has suffered an injury that may have been preventable, call or e-mail the birth injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. One of our experienced lawyers will evaluate your case for free. Our firm has helped clients with Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

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Ways to Reduce Skin Cancer Risk

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recently released their “safe-sun” guidelines, which are made up of four ways to lower the risk of developing skin cancer by protecting the skin.

To reduce the risk of skin cancer, do your best to:

• Keep out of the sun, especially when it has the greatest potential to damage your skin (between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.). Skin damage results in a greater risk for developing premature wrinkles, skin cancer and other problems.

• Use sunscreen regularly, even on cloudy days. By using sunscreen or lotion with a SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or above, the risk of skin damage is dramatically decreased. Sunscreen should be applied to exposed areas half an hour before sun exposure and should be reapplied as directed for best results.

• Protect your skin and eyes from sun exposure by wearing hats that cover the face, neck and ears, sunglasses with UVA (ultraviolet-A) and UVB (ultraviolet-B) ray protection and wear protective clothing when out in the sun. Loose clothing can keep you cool and protected.

• Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. Attempting to tan your skin with ‘artificial’ sun is just as damaging as the actual sun, even if the skin does not appear burnt.

In addition to these guidelines, many doctors recommend that people check their skin monthly for changes in moles or freckles and other warning signs of skin cancer. In most cases, the earlier a problem is discovered, the better the treatment will work.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating skin cancer, our cancer malpractice attorneys can help. Your initial consultation is FREE and there is NO FEE unless we recover money. Please call us or e-mail us today. We serves clients throughout New York, including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.

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Autism Research Finds Possible Genetic Links

According to a recent study published in scientific journal Nature, there may be an association between autism and a single-letter change on chromosome 5, which is close to a gene called semaphorin 5A. People have two copies of chromosome 5, one from each parent. Changes in genes on this chromosome are related to many genetic conditions, possibly including autism.

It is thought that semaphorin 5A helps the growth of neurons and their long fibers called axons, which carry outgoing messages. In people with autism, researchers found that this gene seems to have has less activity.

An international research panel examined the DNA of individuals with autism, family members of those individuals, and people with no relation. They found that these new areas of the brain may be linked to autism. They also found a potential tie linking pieces of chromosomes 6 and 20 and autism.

This new research is “an important step forward,” according to co-author Dr. Mark Daly. Future studies following this research may give scientists a better grasp of the link between genetics and autism. Although there is no single-known cause for autism, there is a possibility that medical negligence may be associated with some cases of autism. If your child has suffered an injury that may have been preventable, please call or e-mail us today. Our experienced birth injury attorneys will evaluate your case for free. We serve clients with Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury, and Long Island birth injury cases.

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Second Stroke Associated with Development of Dementia

Recent British research examining 30 previous studies suggests that it is possible to lower the chances of developing dementia in stroke survivors by preventing a second stroke. Dementia, a term which describes symptoms that affect a person’s social and intellectual capacities, according to the Mayo Clinic, includes Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.

The previous studies included over 7,500 participants who had experienced a stroke. Researchers found an increased risk of dementia for those who had suffered several strokes. They also found that if a person suffers multiple strokes at one time, the risk of developing dementia within the first month is increased. The team, led by Dr. Sarah Pendlebury, a senior clinical fellow at the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at John Radcliffe Hospital, also found that complications that follow a stroke may also increase a person’s risk of dementia. Those complications include high blood pressure, seizures, cardiac occurrences and low oxygen saturation.

If a patient has suffered a stroke, their treatment plan should focus on preventing factors that may allow another stroke to occur. By avoiding a subsequent stroke, the risk of developing dementia will also be reduced. If you or a loved one was hurt by a misdiagnosis or failure to treat a stroke, call or e-mail us today. The stroke malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. will evaluate your case free of charge and answer all of your legal questions. We serve clients with Bronx stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Queens stroke malpractice and Long Island stroke malpractice cases.

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