Nolan Law Group FindLaw IM Template2024-03-04T04:59:34Zhttps://www.nolan-law.com/feed/atom/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/sites/1502843/2022/04/cropped-Site_Icon-32x32.jpgOn Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479602024-03-04T04:59:34Z2024-03-04T04:59:34ZCauses and consequences of strokes
In most cases, strokes occur when an artery ruptures or a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked, often without warning signs. As of 2022, strokes ranked as the third leading cause of death in the US. Whether they can be entirely prevented remains unknown.
Stroke misdiagnosis
Stroke misdiagnosis occurs when a medical professional fails to recognize a stroke while it's occurring or in time to administer time-sensitive treatment, such as clot-busting medications, which must be given within a specific window to prevent permanent brain damage. Negligence may occur if nurses and other medical professionals do not identify the signs of an impending stroke or recognize that a transient ischemic attack indicates the likelihood of an impending stroke.
Misdiagnosis and malpractice
Misdiagnosis may be considered negligent or medical malpractice when established prevention methods or stroke symptoms are overlooked. Failure to recognize stroke signs can lead to permanent brain damage or fatalities. Irreversible consequences of stroke damage include pain, seizures, brain injury, paralysis, loss of motor skills, depression and changes in mood or behavior. Symptoms such as confusion, leg weakness, sudden severe headaches and one-sided numbness or paralysis should be recognized by medical professionals.
Consequences of misdiagnosis
After a stroke, families may encounter financial burdens such as rehabilitation costs, long-term care expenses and burial costs in the event of fatalities. In cases of misdiagnosis leading to wrongful death or stroke-related injuries, families may pursue financial compensation. Medical professionals are entrusted with the duty to deliver quality care to their patients, and negligence can result in long-term pain and suffering for the victims.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479582024-02-22T17:36:19Z2024-02-22T17:36:19ZWhat is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is like diabetes in general, as both involve elevated glucose levels. However, gestational diabetes is typically a short-term condition that can happen during pregnancy. This condition is more common than you may think, affecting about 10% of pregnant women in the U.S. per year.
Preventing gestational diabetes
Some people are at higher risk for gestational diabetes than others, including those who are obese or gain excessive weight during their pregnancies. Unfortunately, research shows that this condition is more prevalent among African American, Native American, Asian, and Hispanic females.
You should find out whether you have gestational diabetes by completing a screening. Completing this screening includes drinking a glucose solution and having your blood drawn several times over three hours. Then, medical professionals monitor the blood sugar levels in the blood they collect. High blood sugar levels indicate gestational diabetes.
Failing to diagnose gestational diabetes
You understandably depend on an obstetrician to help ensure you have a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Unfortunately, sometimes medical professionals miss conditions and other ailments while providing care. Failing to diagnose gestational diabetes is a common reason for certain medical malpractice lawsuits.
Common complications of gestational diabetes can include:
Premature birth
Birth-related weight issues (macrosomia)
Increased risk of cesarean section
Brachial plexus injury
Stillbirths
These magnify tremendously when the condition is not diagnosed and properly treated.
Fortunately, gestational diabetes is easy to treat. Most experts recommend a healthy diet and mild physical activity during and after pregnancy.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479562024-02-19T05:28:46Z2024-02-19T05:28:46ZClosed and open injuries
Car accidents can cause either closed or open traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Closed injuries are those that occur when you experience blunt force trauma upon impact. This form of a TBI is sometimes deceiving because there isn’t any physical evidence you can see, and symptoms can lay dormant for hours, days or even weeks. This also makes them more dangerous as you might think you’re perfectly fine after a car accident.
Open injuries occur when the skull is fractured and metal, glass or another object penetrates the skull, piercing the brain. When a person suffers this kind of a TBI, the damage is visible as blood is present.
Types of traumatic brain injuries
Concussions are among the most common traumatic brain injuries. They can happen when a person hits their head from a fall or during a car accident and can range in severity. They may or may not cause the victim to lose consciousness; typical symptoms include dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting and confusion.
Contusions are TBIs characterized by bruising in the brain; blood vessels break, sometimes leading to bleeding. In more serious cases, surgery might be necessary.
A coup-contrecoup is a TBI that affects two different areas of the brain when a car accident causes double the impact. For example, a driver loses control of their steering and strikes a guardrail, then rebounds into traffic and is hit from the side by another vehicle.
A diffuse axonal injury occurs when nerves inside the brain are violently stretched in an accident. This type of TBI can be devastating and cause severe, sometimes permanent damage. In the worst cases, a person can be left severely disabled or slip into a coma and die.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479552024-02-02T05:25:19Z2024-02-02T05:25:19Zmedical malpractice lawsuits.
What causes racial disparities in health care?
Many factors contribute to the unequal treatment of minorities in the health care system, such as:
Insurance status. Minorities are more likely to be uninsured than non-Hispanic whites, which limits their access to quality health care. Uninsured patients often receive fewer services, have lower chances of being admitted to the hospital, and have higher mortality rates.
Provider bias and discrimination. Health care providers may have conscious or unconscious biases that affect how they treat minority patients. For example, some providers may believe that minority patients are less intelligent, less cooperative, or more likely to abuse drugs.
Cultural and language barriers. Minorities may have difficulties communicating with health care providers due to differences in language or culture. These barriers can result in misunderstandings, wrong diagnoses, or missed opportunities for preventive care.
How should racial disparities in health care be addressed?
Racial disparities in health care are not only a matter of health but also a matter of justice. Minorities have the right to receive equal and quality health care and protection from medical errors. Health care providers require awareness of their biases and how they affect their decisions and behaviors.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479532024-01-19T17:51:10Z2024-01-19T17:51:10ZAviation accidents erode the trust the public has in air travel, and the federal government takes them extremely seriously. The recent incident involving a Boeing 737 Max is prompting a full and thorough investigation from the FAA.
The nature of the incident
In the early morning of January 2024, an incident occurred wherein a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, departing from Oregon en route to California, experienced the detachment of a door from the fuselage during mid-flight. Passengers reported hearing a loud noise at the time the door flew off, and passenger photographs corroborated the explanation for the aviation mishap.
Fortunately, the plane was able to make an emergency landing with no further mishap. None of the 174 passengers or any of the crew were injured.
The FAA response
The FAA acted immediately in the aftermath of the incident. All Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft were grounded pending an investigation into what caused the door to detach while the aircraft was in operation. This had a significant effect on commercial airline schedules, but the FAA deemed it necessary considering the seriousness of the incident.
The investigation will center on aircraft that are already in operation. But it's possible that it will expand to Boeing's production lines as well. The FAA has stressed that the speed of the investigation will take a back seat to thoroughness, meaning the timetable will depend on what investigators discover.
Boeing is fully cooperating with the FAA and NTSB and is conducting an internal review as well. Once the FAA has answers, authorities will determine the next steps.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479522024-01-09T13:34:05Z2024-01-09T13:34:05ZAir traffic control
Investigations into the deadly aviation accident have been launched by law enforcement and transport safety officials. Safety officials will likely focus on the conversations the crews of both planes had with air traffic controllers. The Coast Guard Dash 8 did not have clearance to take off according to official logs, but its captain claims that he was given permission to depart Haneda airport.
Professional negligence
The police are investigating possible professional negligence according to media reports. Investigators will be tasked with identifying the mistakes that led to two aircraft being on a busy runway at the same time. Tower transcripts show that that the Airbus was given clearance to land, but there is no take-off authorization for the Dash 8. Instead, the records show that the Dash 8 was ordered to taxi to a point near the runway.
Human error
This accident does not appear to have been caused by a mechanical defect or failure. This suggests that investigators will conclude that some sort of human error is to blame. This accident happened because a plane was in the wrong place, and investigators will study the sequence of events to determine where mistakes were made. This accident also reveals that modern commercial aircraft are made with materials that provide a great deal of fire protection.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479502023-12-21T04:55:14Z2023-12-21T04:55:14ZThe working mechanism of an FDR
The black box (FDR) was first used in 1947 but became mandatory in 1958. An FDR is vital for understanding and preventing aviation accidents. It records all conversations and other types of information about the plane. Its sturdy design makes it resistant to harsh conditions.
A passenger's black box can survive for three months under the sea. It weighs an average of five kilograms and activates as soon as it interacts with the water. The device starts sending signals immediately making it easy for the team trying to locate the plane.
What does a black box readout capture?
The FDR's readouts capture crucial flight parameters that help in understanding the aircraft's behavior during different phases. It records everything related to the hardware and instruments present in the cockpit. The black box's readout provides insight into an aircraft's health and the cockpit's avionic function.
Below is some of the information recorded in an FDR readout:
Engine performance
Flight path parameters
Control inputs
Time and location
System status
Recording parameters characteristics
The information recorded in a flight data recorder is essential. It identifies flight accident causes and aids in aircraft airworthiness maintenance.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479482023-12-21T04:33:33Z2023-12-21T04:33:33ZThe study
The initial study included five patients who had long-term impairment caused by a TBI and were injured anywhere from three to 18 years ago. According to results published in Nature Medicine, using an electrode to stimulate brain activity caused a 52% improvement in their ability to process information.
The electrodes were surgically planted in the central lateral nucleus, which is located in the thalamus. This part of the brain is responsible for helping a person learn and remember information. Researchers would stimulate this part of the brain using the electrodes for 12 hours a day for a period of three months.
More information is needed
Researchers agree that more information will be needed before knowing if this new technique is appropriate for a wider set of patients with traumatic brain injuries. However, according to the lead author, the study was designed to provide a proof of concept as well as to rule out any possible safety issues associated with the technique itself.
The lead author also acknowledged that more evidence is needed to show that patients will experience an improvement in quality of life. For now, the data only shows that patients did better on cognitive tests compared to before they received the brain stimulation.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479462023-12-08T05:48:16Z2023-12-08T05:48:16ZCauses of traumatic brain injuries
Unfortunately, nearly everyone is at risk of falling victim to a traumatic brain injury. However, those who are more physically active may even be at more risk. This is certainly true of college-age students. Some of the more common causes of such injuries include serious bumps, falls, or blows to the head. People who play sports such as football are certainly more at risk than the general population of experiencing a brain injury.
Signs of a traumatic brain injury
One of the scariest things about a traumatic brain injury is the fact that it may not be immediately apparent that a person has suffered from one. Instead, one must look out for the telltale signs that a serious brain injury has occurred. These symptoms include:
headaches
vomiting
fatigue
speech issues
dizziness
blurred vision
ringing ears
depression and mood swings
change in sleep cycles
confusion and lack of concentration
slurred speech
Dangers of traumatic brain injuries
Sadly, traumatic brain injuries can have serious and long-lasting consequences. They can cause memory loss and problems communicating or concentrating. Worse of all, it can eventually result in death from things such as:
seizures
pneumonia
drug overdoses
infections
brain swelling
bleeding of the brain
Even if a person manages to survive the injury for the long term, their quality of life is like to be greatly diminished. The brain is obviously the most important organ in the human body. Any brain injury, even a minor one, can have disastrous consequences for a person’s long term well-being.]]>On Behalf of Nolan Law Grouphttps://www.nolan-law.com/?p=479442023-11-21T19:03:08Z2023-11-21T19:03:08ZWeight loss drugs and anesthesia
Recent studies revealed that weight loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, which are GLP-1 agonists, can cause complications in individuals who undergo surgery. Specifically, these medications can be dangerous when a person is administered anesthesia.
According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, anyone taking weight loss medications should stop taking them at least on the day they are slated to have surgery. However, those who take the drugs on a weekly basis should stop taking them at least one week prior to their surgery.
Doctors have a duty to warn patients about the risks; mixing weight loss drugs with anesthesia can lead to a patient aspirating food still left in their stomach. Aspiration can lead to serious lung damage; doctors can be held liable for medical malpractice if they don’t warn their patients.
Steps for preparing for surgery
If you take weight loss drugs and are scheduled to undergo surgery, it’s crucial to stop within the recommended time based on how often you take them. If you take them to lose weight and are concerned that you’ll overeat and regain what you’ve lost, it should be fine; it takes a month before you notice a difference.
On the other hand, if you take the medication to control your diabetes, you’ll have to switch to a different option; your doctor should recommend something that’s considered safe and that doesn’t counteract with anesthesia.
You should never suffer harm due to conflicting medications. If a doctor or other medical professional fails to warn of such effects and you suffer harm, it could be considered malpractice.]]>