Men Less Likely to get Screened for Cancer

According to a recent telephone survey of almost 1,150 men and women in San Juan, Baltimore and New York City, men are more likely to skip cancer screenings than women. The survey group was mainly between the ages of 30 and 59, and about 35 percent of the participants were men.

The research team that conducted the study used questions from the Cancer Screening Questionnaire, a survey of sixty-questions which were asked over the phone. The questionnaire focused on participants’ attitudes and beliefs when it came to cancer screening.

Researchers found that although the cancer death rate is higher among men, they are less willing than women to undergo cancer screenings. However, the study also found that when given the facts about cancer screening procedures, men are somewhat more likely to get screened for cancer than women are. For this reason, physicians and other health care providers should __

The findings of the study indicate that men are screened less than women for several reasons, including the fact that women see their primary care physician more often than men do. Also, there is a need for more government-sponsored cancer awareness campaigns for men and most cancer awareness campaigns focus on women’s breast cancer.

The study was published both online and in print in the American Journal of Men’s Health.

If a doctor or hospital failed to diagnose your cancer, call or email the cancer malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today. Our experienced medical malpractice lawyers can answer your questions and help you fight for the compensation you deserve. We have helped clients with Queens cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Manhattan cancer malpractice and Long Island cancer malpractice cases.

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Study: Rate of C-section delivery with twins increases

Researchers in California have found in a new study that more twins are being delivered via cesarean section than ever before. Since the mid 90s, the rate of twin c-sections has increased significantly, according to the study authors.

In 2008, the last year included in the study, the c-section rate for twin deliveries was roughly 75 percent, significantly higher than the rate of 53 percent of 1995, and amounting to a five percent increase each year.

The researchers also noted that although many twin c-section deliveries are the result of complications, such as the position of the babies, this increase in the c-section rate was seen in healthy mothers and babies that had the option to deliver vaginally.

The study, which was published in medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, notes that about a third of all births in the U.S. are now cesarean section deliveries. Study authors also warn that although the rate of c-sections is on the rise, this type of delivery increases the risk of bleeding and infection for the mother, as well as certain types of injuries, so a Healing time following a cesarean section also means a longer stay in the hospital following delivery.
Cesarean sections can be potentially harmful to both mother and child. If you or a loved one experienced a difficult delivery or an injury that could have been prevented and have questions about the quality of the medical care you received, please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos' birth injury lawyers for answers. We have helped clients 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

Ovarian Tumor Risk Increases with Fertility Treatment

According to a 15-year study which observed about 25,000 women, the risk of developing an ovarian tumor is higher for women receiving fertility treatments with ovary-stimulating drugs.

The study, led by Flora van Leeuwen of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, found that women who underwent in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, were twice as likely to develop either ovarian cancer or a borderline tumor, which is defined as a tumor with abnormal cells that may or may not become cancerous.

Of the 25,000 women included in the study, about 19,000 received IVF treatment. Among the group that received the treatment, 61 women had an ovarian malignancy, 31 of which were borderline tumors and 30 of which were invasive ovarian cancer.

The study’s findings were published in Oxford journal Human Reproduction.

A delay in diagnosing and treating ovarian cancer or any other form of cancer may allow the cancer to grow and spread, lowering a patient’s chance beating their cancer. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating cancer, our cancer malpractice attorneys can help. Your initial consultation is free and there is no fee to you unless we recover money. Please call us today, or submit an instant inquiry now and we will respond within 24 hours. Silberstein, Awad & Miklos serves clients with Queens cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Manhattan cancer malpractice and Long Island cancer malpractice cases.

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Study: Seatbelts worn by less than half of children injured in auto accidents

A recent study presented at the October 15th national meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics has found that more than half of children hurt in an automobile accident in the U.S. between 2002 and 2006 were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.

Statistics on motor vehicle accidents involving nearly 40,000 kids under the age of 16 were analyzed by a team of researchers led by Dr. Rebecca Stark. They found that only about 47.5 percent of the children were wearing a seat-belt when the accident occurred. Researchers also found that in minority children, including Black, Hispanic and Native American, seatbelt use was even lower.

Dr. Stark and her research team found that when seatbelts were used, a lower injury severity score (ISS) was observable. They also found that the injury rate was almost 7 percent and the death rate was almost 6 percent, with about 13 percent of the injured children needing emergency surgery.

According to the CDC, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in the U.S. in people ages 5 through 34. In 2009, more than 2.3 million adult drivers and passengers received treatment in U.S. emergency rooms for injuries resulting from an automobile accident.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles requires that every child under the age of 16 must wear a safety restraint and children under the age of 4 must be secured in a federally-approved safety seat. If you or a loved has been injured in any type of collision, call or e-mail our car accident attorneys today. One of our experienced auto collision lawyers will evaluate your case for free and help you get the compensation you deserve. Silberstein, Awad & Miklos has helped clients with Bronx auto accident, Queens auto accident, Brooklyn auto accident, Manhattan auto accident and Long Island auto accident cases.

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Infection Rate Doubles in Patients with Cardiac Devices

A recent study out of the Jefferson Heart Institute at Thomas Jefferson University has found that since the early 1990s, the risk of infection in patients that have either a pacemaker or defibrillator has more than doubled. The researchers suggest that the cause of this spike in the rate of infections may be that heart patients are sicker than they were twenty years ago.

For the research, the team, led by Dr. Arnold J. Greenspon, looked at hospital discharge records from a national database. Their research revealed an increase of more than 200 percent between 1993 and 2008 in the number of infections related to a permanent pacemaker or implantable defibrillator, both referred to as cardiac electrophysiological devices (CIEDs).

Greenspon, a professor of medicine at Jefferson Medical College and director of cardiac electrophysiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, believes that this significant increase in the rate of infections in patients with CIEDs is a result of much of that patient population having several other major health problems in addition to having a cardiac device. Sicker patients mean a higher rate infection.

The study, which is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, also notes that male patients over the age of 65 had the highest rate of infection.

While many infections are unavoidable, countless infections that develop in a hospital or following a procedure can be prevented if proper care is given. If you or a loved one has been hurt or died as a result of a preventable infection and you have questions about the quality of the medical care received, please contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos for answers. We have helped clients with Queens medical malpractice, Bronx medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Manhattan medical malpractice and Long Island medical malpractice matters.

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Heart Defects in Young Athletes Often Misdiagnosed by Cardiologists

Each year in the United States, about 76 young athletes die suddenly during practice or a game as a result of cardiac arrest. Consequently, some experts have recommended that electrocardiograms (ECGs) be required in these athletes to screen for certain heart defects.

Screening for heart defects may help prevent sudden cardiac death in these young people, however it is only beneficial when a doctor correctly reads the test results. A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics has found that many pediatric heart doctors misinterpret ECGs, leaving dangerous abnormalities undiagnosed. The study noted that about 32 percent of the time, pediatric cardiologists missed an abnormality, while a heart abnormality was incorrectly diagnosed about 30 percent of the time.

When an ECG is performed, the electrical impulses that are generated by the heart’s beat are measured. The test can detect certain conditions of the heart, as well as irregularities in the heart’s rhythm, when its results are correctly interpreted. For the study, researchers asked 53 pediatric cardiologists to interpret the results of 18 ECGs performed on teens with and without a heart defect. The doctors correctly read 12.4 of the 18 tests, on average.

According to lead study author Dr. Allison Hill, a pediatric resident at Stanford University, hypertonic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. This type of heart disease occurs when the heart muscle thickens, making it extremely difficult for it to pump blood.

The sudden cardiac death of a young person is an extremely painful occurrence, especially when it could have been prevented by a proper diagnosis. If your child’s heart defect went undiagnosed, resulting in permanent disability or death, call or email the cardiac malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. Our experienced legal team can answer your questions and review your possible case free of charge. We have helped clients with Bronx cardiac malpractice, Brooklyn cardiac malpractice, Queens cardiac malpractice, Manhattan cardiac malpractice and Long Island cardiac malpractice cases.

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More Timely Treatment for Potential Stroke Patients Arriving by Ambulance

A study out of North Carolina has found that patients with stroke symptoms receive brain scans more quickly when brought to the hospital by ambulance, compared to arrival by a personal car or taxi. For possible stroke patients, brain scans are necessary to diagnose whether or not a stroke has occurred. When a stroke or other condition as been diagnosed, the patient can receive the correct treatment more quickly.

The study, which included 14,000 patients, found that on average, brain scans took place more than 72 minutes after the patient arrived when coming by either a personal vehicle or car service. When patients arrived by ambulance and the hospital had been notified en route, brain scans were completed in less than 48 minutes.

Current guidelines recommend that possible stroke patients receive a brain scan within 25 minutes of hospital arrival. It is also recommended that doctors interpret the results within 20 minutes of the scan being performed. This study found that patients who arrived via ambulance were twice as likely to get a brain scan within the recommended 25 minute window. In addition, when the hospital was alerted by the ambulance that a possible stroke patient was coming, patients were nearly three times more likely to get a brain scan in the recommended time.

According to the American Stroke Association, almost 800,000 people suffer a stroke each year in the United States. Of those, more than one in six patients dies as a result of their stroke.

If you or a loved one has experienced a failure do diagnose or treat a stroke in a timely manner, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free case evaluation. One of our experienced attorneys will review your Queens stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Bronx stroke malpractice, Manhattan stroke malpractice or Long Island stroke malpractice case and answer any questions you may have.

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