Don’t Rely on YouTube to Learn CPR

Although many people utilize the popular YouTube.com to gain information by watching video clips, some of the tutorials posted on the site are not the most dependable, especially when it comes to your health.

A recent study conducted in New York found that about half of the more than 50 videos posted on YouTube teaching CPR were posted by users without medical training. Of the other half of the videos, the majority were uploaded by certified CPR instructors, paramedics, doctors or private groups.

The study’s lead researcher, Dr. Karthik Murugiah, found that many of the video tutorials correctly demonstrated how to perform CPR. Still, quite a few videos displayed inaccurate methods, while others were missing important aspects of the CPR procedure, such as the rate of chest compressions.

Anyone interested in learning how to properly perform CPR can visit the American Heart Association online for information on CPR training courses. The site also details the importance of CPR and how it saves lives every day.

If you or a loved one has had a heart attack and have questions about the quality of the medical care received, call or email the medical malpractice lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos for answers. Our team has been helping clients with Bronx medical malpractice, Queens medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Manhattan medical malpractice and Long Island medical malpractice cases for over thirty years.

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Many Pregnant Smokers Deny Habit

A new study conducted in New York has found that of women who smoke during their pregnancy, about one quarter deny smoking.

When pregnant women smoke, it increases the risk that their child will be born with an illness, or not survive at all. By exposing an unborn baby to harmful chemicals like nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide, the amount of oxygen the child receives can decrease, slowing down development, according to the March of Dimes Foundation.

Smoking can greatly increase the risk of a woman having:

• Stillbirth
• Vaginal bleeding
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Placental abruption
• Placenta previa

In addition, pregnant smokers are more like to have babies born:

• Prematurely
• Underweight
• With birth defects

The study included both pregnant and non-pregnant women ages 20 to 44 who smoked cigarettes. Researchers took blood samples from the 3,203 non-pregnant and 994 pregnant women involved in the study and analyzed levels of cotinine, which is a substance found in nicotine.

The research team found that active smokers made up about 30 percent of the nonpregnant group and 13 percent of the pregnant group. Of the pregnant women who smoked, the average number of cigarettes smoked each day was 11. The Non-pregnant women smoked an average of almost 14 cigarettes a day.

Researchers also found that roughly 23 percent of the pregnant smokers denied their habit, while only 9 percent of non-pregnant women denied smoking. In addition, women ages 20 to 24 were the most likely to deny smoking in both groups of women.

Smoking while pregnant increases a baby’s risk of health problems, however, some conditions may be caused by a mistake by a doctor or hospital. If your child has suffered a birth injury that may have been preventable, call or e-mail the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. We will evaluate your Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury, Nassau birth injury or Suffolk birth injury case free of charge.

Sources: American Journal of Epidemiology, March of Dimes Foundation

Risk of Infection Increases with Surgery Delay

According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, when a patient’s elective surgery is delayed after being admitted to the hospital, their risk of infection increases, in addition to their hospital bill.

The study, which was conducted by U.S. researchers, analyzed data from elective surgery patients that underwent either coronary artery bypass grafts, colon resections or lung resections.

They found that when coronary artery bypass grafts were performed the same day the patient was admitted, roughly 6 percent developed an infection. However, when surgery was delayed six to ten days, the rate of infection increased to more than 18 percent. When colon resection procedures were performed the same day as admission, researchers found that about 8.5 percent of patients developed an infection, compared with roughly 21.5 percent whose surgery was delayed. The rate of infection for patients undergoing lung resection surgery on the day of admission was around 10 percent, while about 20.5 percent of those who experienced a delay developed an infection.

Infections were found to include, pneumonia, postoperative sepsis, surgical site infections and urinary tract infections. Researchers also found that when these elective procedures were performed on the same day as admission, the cost of the surgery was much lower than if the patient experienced a delay.

In some cases, a surgical delay can result in serious injury or death. If you or a loved one was injured or died as a result of a surgical delay or error, please call or e-mail the surgical malpractice lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free consultation. Our experienced attorneys have helped those injured by surgical malpractice throughout New York, including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.

Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit us online at www.ask4sam.net

Drop-Side Cribs Banned by Government

Last week, the U.S. government announced a ban on drop-side cribs, prohibiting the manufacture, sale and resale of these popular cribs after a unanimous vote by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Hazardous drop-side cribs have been responsible for more than thirty infant and toddler deaths over the past ten years, with millions of cribs being recalled due to safety concerns.

In addition to the ban, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has also ordered stricter safety inspections for cribs, as well as better markers on pre-assembly pieces to lessen the number of mistakes made when putting these cribs together.

Faulty hardware and assembly problems with drop-side cribs can become deadly for infants and toddlers when the rail becomes unattached from the frame of the crib, creating a gap where the child can strangle or suffocate themselves.

These crib safety improvements should greatly reduce the number of crib-related injuries and deaths. If your child was injured or died as a result of a dangerous or defective product, call the product liability attorneys at Silberstein, Awad, & Miklos, P.C. today. Our experienced lawyers are here to help. Call us for a free consultation.

Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net for more information.

Source: Associated Press, 12/15/10

Preventing Injuries Caused by Falls

Not surprisingly, one of the leading causes of injury in the country are falls. In fact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 9 million emergency room visits to our nation’s hospitals each year are the result of accidental falls.

Accidental falls make up roughly 40 percent of all nonfatal injuries that occur in U.S. homes, according to the Home Safety Council. As for deadly falls in the home, they make up about a third all accidental home injury deaths.

Young children and the elderly are at the highest risk of falling and injuring themselves in the home, so it is important to take extra precautions in these households.

The American Academy of Emergency Physicians offers several tips on how to prevent falls that occur in your home:

• Remove clutter and clear all staircases and walkways throughout your home.
• Make sure staircases are well lit, especially at landings.
• Utilize nightlights in bathrooms, hallways and bedrooms.
• Make sure loose carpeting or other flooring is replaced or repaired.
• Install bars or handrails in bathrooms and showers where needed, especially in homes where elderly adults live.
• Make sure shower and tub floors have non-slip surfaces.
• Refrain from using throw rugs in homes where elderly adults live or make sure rugs are secured properly.
• Install gates with locks near staircases in homes with young children.
• Install window guards that can be easily opened in case of fire.

Many times when an adult or child are injured or killed as a result of a fall, the accident is a result of another person’s negligence. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a trip or slip and fall accident, please call or e-mail our premises liability attorneys today. The call is free and our premises liability lawyers only get paid if we can obtain money for you. Our firm proudly serves clients in New York City and Long Island, including the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Nassau and Suffolk.

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Study: Increase in image-guided biopsies

According to a recent study published in medical journal Radiology, the majority of biopsies are now being done in a less invasive way, using imaging to direct the needle.

Researchers led by Dr. Sharon W. Kwan, a resident in radiology at the University of California in San Francisco, found that between 1997 and 2008, image-guided biopsies went from 59 percent of all biopsies to 67 percent. Biopsies, which involve removing tissue or fluid for testing, are more accurate when the needle is guided by imaging such as CT scans, ultrasound and MRI.

The frequency of biopsies to screen for disease has been increasing annually, with improving technology such as image guidance making them more and more accurate. A biopsy can help detect cancer in its earliest stages, allowing patients to start receiving treatment sooner and improving the chances of survival for most types of cancer.

The failure to diagnose cancer is one of the leading causes of medical malpractice lawsuits. If you or a loved one has been the victim of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed cancer, please contact the cancer malpractice lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. for more information and to schedule a free case consultation. We have helped clients with Bronx cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Long Island cancer malpractice and other New York cancer malpractice cases.

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Study: Link between obesity and cesarean section

A new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has found that patients with a higher body mass index (BMI) at the time of delivery are at a greater risk of having a c-section.

Researchers involved in the study examined data on roughly 125,000 women who had a baby between 2002 and 2008, including the way in which each baby was delivered, as well as other information surrounding the birth. Each woman was part of the National Institutes of Health’s Consortium on Safe Labor.

Along with her team, lead researcher Dr. Michelle Kominiarek, a fetal and maternal medicine physician at Indiana University Hospital, found that for each additional unit in BMI, the risk that a woman would need to undergo cesarean section increased by 4 percent. Of the women included in the study, 14 percent had c-sections.

In the U.S., about a third of all births are delivered through c-section, which can increase the risk of bleeding, infection and hysterectomy. The rate of c-section is now about 50 percent higher than it was just two decades ago, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If your child has suffered an injury that may have been preventable, please call or e-mail Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. One of our experienced birth injury attorneys will evaluate your case at no cost. We have helped clients across New York, including those with Bronx birth injury, Queens birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Manhattan birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM