Month: October 2008

The Tri-State Region’s Most Dangerous Roads for Pedestrians

The tri-state region’s most dangerous road for pedestrians is Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County, according to a new analysis by Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a policy watchdog organization. Between 2005 and 2007, 15 pedestrians were killed along the 15-mile stretch of roadway, with most of those fatalities occurring as the road passes through Elmont, Franklin Square and Hempstead. The TSTC analyzed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, years 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The results:1. Hempstead Turnpike (Route 24), Nassau County, NY 2. Sunrise Highway (Route 27/39), Suffolk County, NY 3. 3rd Avenue, Manhattan 3. Broadway, Manhattan … Read the rest

Court Rejects Medical Malpractice Defendants’ Attempt to Allow Jury to Find Plaintiff’s Father and Cousin, Both Physicians, Liable for Plaintiff’s Injuries

The plaintiff in Antaki v. Lerman sued North Shore University Hospital Plainview and Craig C. Lerman, MD alleging that he was the victim of medical malpractice in the hospital’s emergency room for failure to diagnose the presence of the bacteria C-difficile in his colon, which failure ultimately led to undergo surgery including a subtotal colonoscopy for the removal of the mega colon. The defendants requested that the trial court permit the jury to consider allocating total liability not only among the defendants, but also against the plaintiff’s father and his uncle, both of whom are physicians.

The plaintiff’s father, August … Read the rest

Relatively Simple and Quick Exercise Program Found to Help Prevent Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Female Collegiate Soccer Players

Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) often require surgery and months of rehabilitation. Such injuries have been a particular concern for female soccer players. Strengthening and flexibility programs that have been found to reduce injuries to the ligament often require special equipment.

Researchers looking for a program that could be easily incorporated into regular team practices have found a simple on-field alternative warm-up program that can reduce non-contact ACL injuries in female soccer players, especially those with a history of anterior cruciate ligament injury, according to a study published recently in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

The … Read the rest

OSHA Random Inspections Reveal That Fall Hazards Are The Biggest Safety Problem at New York City Construction Sites

The federal government says that the hazards of falling are the biggest safety problem at New York City construction sites after random inspections during a two-week enhanced enforcement effort this past summer. As part of its New York City construction safety task force, OSHA detailed 12 inspectors to conduct 96 safety inspections at 46 construction sites throughout the city from June 23 to July 3. The sites were randomly selected to encompass a cross-section of high-risk construction activities including tower cranes, high-rise construction, poured-in-place concrete operations, steel erection, gut-rehab and other high-risk construction activities.

Citations were issued to 60 contractors … Read the rest

New Medicare/Medicaid Guidelines for Nursing Home Nutrition and Sanitary Conditions

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released new Interpretive Guidelines for nutrition and sanitary conditions in nursing homes effective September 1, 2008. The changes clarify areas such as assessment, care planning, and interventions for LTC residents.

The new guidelines are significant as it contains detailed instructions for acceptable parameters of nutritional status, details on required nutritional assessment, food and fluid intake, care planning, and weight-related interventions. There are also added sections on wound healing and feeding tubes which were not in the previous Interpretive Guidelines. Appendix PP – Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities updates … Read the rest

Indictments and Repercussions Flowing From the Two Fatal Crane Collapses In New York City Earlier This Year

The safety of New Yorkers working at or living near construction sites has remained paramount following the crane collapses this past March and May that killed a total of 9 people. Stemming partly from corruption allegations that were first disclosed in the summer when the city’s acting chief crane inspector was arrested on charges of receiving bribes, the New York City Buildings Department announced on October 6, 2008, that it was overhauling its procedures on how the city issues licenses to some crane operators.

The city said that the written and practical tests for lower-level mobile crane operators licenses (called … Read the rest

Ovarian Cancer Test OvaSure Being Marketed Without Necessary FDA Approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned clinical test giant Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings that it was marketing OvaSure, an ovarian cancer test, in violation of the law in that it did not have marketing clearance or approval from the FDA.

OvaSure measures six proteins in blood samples and calculates the chances that the woman has ovarian cancer. LabCorp made the $220 test available in June, under a provision that exempts tests developed and offered by a single lab from the usual FDA review. Thus OvaSure did not go through an FDA review.

But in a letter dated September … Read the rest

Danger: Unapproved Ophthalmic Balanced Salt Solution Drug Products and Topical Drug Products Containing Papain

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that companies marketing unapproved ophthalmic balanced salt solutions (BSS) and unapproved topical drugs containing papain must stop manufacturing these products on or before November 24, 2008, and must stop shipping such unapproved products on or before January 21, 2009, or risk enforcement action. FDA is taking these actions because it has received reports of serious adverse events associated with their uses, including eye inflammation, cloudy vision, permanent loss of visual acuity, a serious drop in blood pressure and increased heart rate.

Ophthalmic balanced salt solutions are used to irrigate the eye … Read the rest

Texting While Driving Is More Dangerous Than Drunk-Driving; Is Jail-Time Warranted?

A study by the Transport Research Laboratory, a British center for transport research, has suggested that texting while driving is riskier than driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Texting adversely effects drivers’ reaction times, steering control (ie. drifting out of the lane), and maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front. Motorists who use their mobile phone to send text messages while on the road dramatically increase the likelihood of collision – their reaction times deteriorated by 35 per cent.

In comparison, those who drank alcohol at the legal limit were 12 per cent slower, those under … Read the rest