DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

Doctors fail to report clinically significant findings to their patients in more than seven percent (7%) of the cases, according to the Associated Press, relying on a new study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.  Physicians' use of electronic medical records tended to lower instances of failures to inform.  The frequency of errors is higher in practices that used a combination of electronic and paper records, as opposed to practices that relied on only paper or only electronic records, reports Nicholas Bakalar of the New York Times.    

We encourage doctors to utilize the electronic technology now available to better communicate with patients and other physicians regarding a patient's symptoms and conditions.  Reckless record-keeping leads to needless deaths and injuries.  There is a crisis in this country--too many Americans die each year as a result of hospital and doctor errors.  Nearly 100,000 people die every year as a result of hospital mistakes alone.  Safety needs to be a priority as we move forward.

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Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire

Shannon Pettypiece reports for Bloomberg that Matrixx Initiatives Inc. announced that it failed to turn over to U.S. regulators about 800 consumer complaints concerning serious side-effects linked to its Zicam nasal spray and swabs, which have been withdrawn.

According to the report, "Matrixx, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, stopped selling the cold remedies on June 16 after the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers the treatments may cause a loss of smell. Matrixx today defended its products and called the FDA warning 'a surprise,' during a conference call with analysts."

The 800 complaints were unearthed only after the FDA performed a routine inspection found 800 reports of consumer concerns this past May.  William Hemelt, acting president and chief operating officer of Matrixx, said that he was informed that  his compnay did not need to report the complaints despite a 2007 regulation requiring companies to turn over reports of serious side effects, arguing that the regulation didn't apply. 

“We have complaints but we weren’t required to send them,” Hemelt said. “At least we didn’t believe we were required to send them and we based that on an opinion of counsel who looked at the FDA regulation and said no, it doesn’t fit.”

The FDA reported that doctors and consumers have linked a permanent loss of smell to the us of the medications.

When companies withhold critically important information it smacks of putting profits over people.  Safety and public health should always be the paramount concern of drug companies. 

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please contact Mr. Zambri at 202-822-1899 or email him at szambri@reganfirm.com.

By Victor E. Long, Esq.

Osteopenia sounds serious -- but is it?  Technically, osteopenia is not in and of itself a disease, as osteoporosis is. Instead, osteopenia is an indication that your bone mineral density is below the statistical norm and that you could eventually develop osteoporosis or be at risk of a future fracture.

On one hand, treating osteopenia sounds logical. Osteoporosis doesn’t develop overnight, out of the blue; surely, a person with the disease was osteopenic at some point along the line. However, just because you have osteopenia doesn’t mean that you’re absolutely guaranteed to develop osteoporosis, nor are you fated to have a serious fracture. Thus, taking bisphosphonates or other bone-building medications for your osteopenia means that you might be treated for a condition you never would have developed even if left untreated.

As a result, many experts argue that most people with osteopenia don’t need treatment, that blanket prescribing of bone-building drugs for osteopenia is more about alleviating anxiety than actually preventing fractures -- and that such a strategy makes no sense when drug costs and potential side effects are taken into account. Instead, the general consensus is in favor of selective, targeted treatment for osteopenia.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Recently, MedPage Today reported that "The FDA issued an alert regarding the risk of increased mortality in stable liver transplant patients who switch from a calcineurin inhibitor-based (CNI) immunosuppressive regimen to sirolimus (Rapamune)."  It was noted, however, "that a causal relationship has not been established and that" the FDA "is not recommending discontinuation of the drug, which is indicated for prevention of organ rejection in kidney transplant recipients older than 12."

The label for the drug "already carries a boxed warning of excess mortality and graft loss associated with the use of" sirolimus "in combination with tacrolimus (Prograf) in de novo liver and lung transplant recipients."  And it also warns that it is not clear that the drug is safe for liver or lung transplant patients.  Doctors, therefore, should heed those warnings, comments the FDA.  Prescribing medication in a way that is contrary to the labeling may lead to serious permanent injury or death.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030. 

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Medical News Today recently reported that a certain kind of cholesterol--known as lipoprotein (a)--may increase the risk of heart attack (medically referred to as myocardial infarction, or MI).  This type of cholesterol, says the article, has been screened little.  Historically, doctors ahve been screening patients for low-denisty lipoproteins, commonly called "bad protein".  Nevertheless, MI has continued to be a leading cause of death.  As a result, scientists have been looking at other caused of heart disease.

The theory about lipoprotein (a) leading to heart disease stems from a study of people living in Denmark, who had higher levels of lipoprotein (a) due to genetic reasons, and who were at a higher risk of heart attack.  The article comments that the "researchers suggested that although their findings were strong enough to support the idea that higher levels of lipoprotein (a) due to genetic reasons very probably cause higher risk of heart attack, only randomized clinical trials that show fewer heart attacks occur when lipoprotein (a) is reduced through therapy can prove it."  So, expect more studies.

According to the report, representatives of "the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study commented that although Kamstrup and colleagues revealed some 'interesting mechanistic insights' into the biological link between lipoprotein (a) and MI, and put forward evidence that there might be potential benefit in reducing lipoprotein (a) early in life, the 'clinical implications are quite limited.'"

Before taking any medication, we encourage you to seek the advice of competent physicians. 

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involvee tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

The World Health Organization today raised its alert level for swine flu (Influenza A - H1N1)to Phase 6, announcing the first influenza pandemic since 1968 as the virus continued to spread around the globe. WHO considers the overall severity to be moderate, according to the announcement by WHO Director General Manager Margaret Chan.  "We have good reason to believe that this pandemic will be of moderate severity, and we know from experience that severity can vary on many factors from one country to another."

Although the current swine flu strain is not considered especially deadly, its ability to spread rapidly to different communities met WHO's criteria for a pandemic.  The alert is related to the geographic spread of the virus, not its severity.

Member countries received notice ahead of its formal announcement of the Phase 6 alert, recommending that nations not close borders or restrict travel and trade. The advance notice indicated the agency remains "in close dialogue with influenza vaccine manufacturers."

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The AP recently reported that  "The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers Monday not to use skin products made by Clarcon." This warning followed a recent inspection which revealed high levels of disease-causing bacteria in the products.  According to the report, the FDA has said that the findings are "particularly concerning because the products are promoted as antimicrobial agents that claim to treat open wounds and damaged skin and protect against various infectious diseases."  Yet, according to the report, some of the bacteria found in the products "can cause opportunistic infections of the skin and underlying tissues and could result in medical or surgical attention as well as permanent damage," the report comments.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Bloomberg News reports that "Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp. were sued by a Pennsylvania fund for active and retired state employees over claims they misled consumers into paying too much for prescriptions of Zetia [ezetimibe] and Vytorin cholesterol pills."  The Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund alleges in a complaint that "the companies have known for years -- and failed to make public -- that Zetia doesn't reduce fatty arterial plaques that can cause heart attacks and strokes."  The reports commenst that two studies last year showed that "the pills may work no better at unclogging arteries than does an older, cheaper medicine called simvastatin." Nevertheless, the companies allegedly withheld the the finding and "used false and deceptive marketing techniques claiming Vytorin was more efficacious than and just as safe as the much cheaper generic," according to the report.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Natalie Fullerton's father feels like he is responsible for the death of his child, but he's not.  After a successful lung transplant, Natalie was thriving.  Her loving father tirelessly cared for her post-surgery, administering medication with the use of syringes.  The syringes, however, were manufactured at a factory owned by a Lake Zurich businessman.  And they were contaminated.  Natalie died.  She was 2 1/2 years old.

The tainted syringes from the plant are now "linked to four deaths and 162 illnesses nationwide, including 22 in Illinois", according to ChicagoTribune.com.  The report comments that "an examination of inspection reports and other documents shows that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration missed several chances to stop the tainted syringes from being used by patients."

According to the article, just three months before the contaminated syringes were shipped (in October 2007), "an FDA inspector visited the plant in North Carolina where they were made. She investigated reports of red, brown and black particles in syringes and reported that managers had a plan to deal with rust."  Those plans were either faulty or non-existent, and teh FDA did not follow-up sufficiently it is suggested.

"A week later, when the FDA learned a distributor was recalling 1.3 million of the syringes, the agency should have launched a thorough inspection, according to its operations manual. That didn't happen, an FDA spokeswoman now says, because the agency is so understaffed it no longer follows the policy unless the recalled product poses a reasonable probability of serious injuries or deaths."

The bacteria on the syringes never should have entered the marketplace.  And, unfortunately, there is plenty of blame to go around.  The owner of the plant is now a fugitive of law.  He fled the country and is trying to evade charges that could land him 95 years on prison.

When dispensing medical devices, medical providers must be sure they are sterilized.  Manufacturers and distributors must do the same.  Natalie may not be the last victim of corporate greed and carelessness, but the FDA must do more to protect Americans of all ages.  That's what we pay them to do.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication or other medical errors.   If you think your providers have ignored your symptoms, we encourage you to read an article regarding medical malpractice authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has established a new guideline, based on European studies,  concerning when a clot-busting drug known as tPA can be given intravenously to stroke victims. Previously, the guideline in America was to provide the drug only within three hours of the onset of symptoms,; otherwise, it could do more harm than good.  This posed a problem to patients who, for one reason or another, could not get to a hospital quickly enough following the start of stroke symptoms.  The new guideline extends the time in which the drug can be administered to four and one-half hours after symptoms begin.

It is important, however, to recognize that the widening of the window does not mean that doctors should act slowly when treating patients with stroke symptoms. The faster the clot in the brain is relieved, thereby restoring normal blood flow, the greater the likelihood of recovery.

The following is the American Stroke Association's list of "warning signs of stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause"

If experiencing any of the warning signs of stroke, seek immediate medical attention, as time is of the essence.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication or other medical errors.   If you think your providers have ignored your symptoms, we encourage you to read an article regarding medical malpractice authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

According to the The Wall Street Journal, staff from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicate that three medications "currently approved to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in adults were effective at treating the disorders in children and adolescents, but carry significant risks." As a result, the FDA is now "considering applications for AstraZeneca PLC's Seroquel [quetiapine] and Eli Lilly and Co.'s Zyprexa [olanzapine] to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in children and adolescents, and Pfizer, Inc.'s Geodon [ziprasidone] to treat bipolar disorder in children 10 to 17," comments the report.  In fact, "an FDA panel of outside medical experts is scheduled to meet to discuss" these atypical antipsychotic medications, and will be "asked to vote on whether each product is safe and effective for children ages 10 to 17."  The report goes on the add that the FDA and the drug-makers announced that "studies showed the products were effective at treating the symptoms of bipolar and schizophrenia," but also warned that "all had side effects."  These sides effects include "sedation and weight gain."

We encourage our readers to speak with their doctors before taking any medication.  Mixing drugs can be particularly dangerous.  Some drugs pose greater health risks than others.  Relying, too, on what the FDA reports and what the drug-makers themselves state about their own medications may not be sufficient.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

An U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report confirms that, two days ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "warned health care professionals about the risk of serious liver injury associated with the use of the anti-thyroid drug propylthiouracil for the treatment of Graves' disease."  Citing the FDA, HHS reports that: "After analyzing adverse event reports, the FDA has identified an increased risk of liver injury with propylthiouracil when compared to an alternative treatment for Graves' disease, methimazole," said Amy Egan, M.D., deputy director for safety, Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products, in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Health care professionals should carefully consider which drug to initiate in a patient recently diagnosed with Graves' disease. If propylthiouracil therapy is chosen, the patient should be closely monitored for symptoms and signs of liver injury, especially during the first six months after initiating therapy."

Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder which causes the thyroid gland to be overactive. The thyroid gland releases hormones that regulate the rate of the body’s metabolism.  These hormones "are critical for body temperature control, energy, weight, mood, and blood calcium levels."

Medications can have serious side-effects, especially if warnings and precautions are not taken seriously. Doctors should fully inform patients of all risks associated with prescribed medications and patients should never hesitate to ask their doctors for more information if they are confused about the risks of certian medications.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

We recently posted a blog informing our readers that a Bloomberg report announced that  researches have determined that certain antidepressants may increase the recurrence  of breast cancer among women who have already survived the disease.  The study reports that drugs including Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft "significantly decrease the effectiveness of a drug [tamoxifen] used to reduce the chances of breast cancer recurrence". 

A new Bloomberg report of yesterday confirms that "US regulators may warn patients taking tamoxifen, a breast cancer medicine...not to use certain types of antidepressants because they block the tumor-fighting drug's effectiveness." Karen Riley, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, commented that the agency is considering "'adding new information to the tamoxifen label to advise women taking the cancer drug against using some antidepressants."

Ms. Riley's comments are welcomed, but action is what is needed.  The public must be warned of the harmful effects of mixing these drugs.  It could be a matter of life and death.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

According to a recent Bloomberg report, researches have determined that certain antidepressants may increase the recurrence  of breast cancer among women who have already survived the disease.  The study reports that drugs including Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft "significantly decrease the effectiveness of a drug [tamoxifen] used to reduce the chances of breast cancer recurrence", states the article. 

Notably, the study revealed that tumors were more than twice as likely to return after two years in women taking the antidepressants cited above while on the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen, as compared with those taking tamoxifen alone. The research was conducted by Medco Health Solutions Inc., and was presented at a meeting of researchers at the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Orlando.

To read the entire article, please click here.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The Washington Post reports that Congress plans to question officials with the Department of Veteran Affairs concerning events that have potentially exposed more than 10,000 former VA patients to blood borne illnesses, including HIV.  The purpose of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs' investigation is to determine whether the exposure came from improper medical procedures and, if so, what the VA has done to address the problems.  

To read the entire article, please click here.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medical errors.  If you think you have been injured as a result of medical negligence, we encourage you to read an article regarding medical malpractices cases authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

According to a recent study summarized in the Journal of the American Medical Association, use of acid-suppressive medications is associated with increased risk for hospital-acquired pneumonia.  For this study, researchers examined electronic medical data for nearly 64,000 adults hospitalized at one medical center for at least three days over a four-year period.  About half of the patients were prescribed proton-pump inhibitors or histamine-2-receptor antagonists during their hospital stays.  Their conclusion was that "further scrutiny is warranted regarding inpatient prescribing practices" of acid-suppressive drugs.

Below is an abstract of the research, as it appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association:

"Authors: Shoshana J. Herzig, MD; Michael D. Howell, MD, MPH; Long H. Ngo, PhD; Edward R. Marcantonio, MD, SM

JAMA. 2009;301(20):2120-2128.

Context: The use of acid-suppressive medication has been steadily increasing, particularly in the inpatient setting, despite lack of an accepted indication in the majority of these patients.

Objective: To examine the association between acid-suppressive medication and hospital-acquired pneumonia.

Design, Setting, and Patients: Prospective pharmacoepidemiologic cohort study. All patients who were admitted to a large, urban, academic medical center in Boston, Massachusetts, from January 2004 through December 2007; at least 18 years of age; and hospitalized for 3 or more days were eligible for inclusion. Admissions with time spent in the intensive care unit were excluded. Acid-suppressive medication use was defined as any order for a proton-pump inhibitor or histamine2 receptor antagonist. Traditional and propensity-matched multivariable logistic regression were used to control for confounders.

Main Outcome Measure: Incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia, defined via codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), in patients exposed and unexposed to acid-suppressive medication.

Results: The final cohort comprised 63 878 admissions. Acid-suppressive medication was ordered in 52% of admissions and hospital-acquired pneumonia occurred in 2219 admissions (3.5%). The unadjusted incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia was higher in the group exposed to acid-suppressive medication than in the unexposed group (4.9% vs 2.0%; odds ratio [OR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-2.8). Using multivariable logistic regression, the adjusted OR of hospital-acquired pneumonia in the group exposed to acid-suppressive medication was 1.3 (95% CI, 1.1-1.4). The matched propensity-score analyses yielded identical results. The association was significant for proton-pump inhibitors (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4) but not for histamine2 receptor antagonists (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.98-1.4).

Conclusions: In this large, hospital-based pharmacoepidemiologic cohort, acid-suppressive medication use was associated with 30% increased odds of hospital-acquired pneumonia. In subset analyses, statistically significant risk was demonstrated only for proton-pump inhibitor use.

Author Affiliations: Divisions of General Medicine and Primary Care (Drs Herzig, Ngo, and Marcantonio), Pulmonary and Critical Care (Dr Howell), and Gerontology (Dr Marcantonio), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; and Harvard Medical School, Boston (Drs Herzig, Howell, Ngo, and Marcantonio)."

CNN published an interesting article on the hot topic of health insurance for college graduates.  A college graduate's health insurance often expires within six months of graduation and due to the harsh economy, many graduates are having difficulties finding a job.  CNN reports that "34 percent of college graduates will spend some time uninsured in the year after graduation."   Unfortunately, it appears that "two-thirds of young adults ages 19 to 29 who spent time without insurance coverage in the past year had gone without needed medical care because it cost too much."  

Here are some tips discussed in the article:

1. Know your rights;
2. Consider COBRA;
3. Be wary of short-term policies;
4. Shop around for a policy;
5. Consider graduate school.

 For additional information on this topic, please click here. 

Screening for Syphilis Infection in Pregnancy: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Reaffirmation Recommendation Statement

"Screen all pregnant women for syphilis, preferably at their first prenatal visit, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reaffirms in Annals of Internal Medicine. According to one study, almost 15% of U.S. obstetricians/gynecologists do not routinely screen pregnant women for syphilis.

The USPSTF engaged researchers to find published evidence updating its 2004 recommendation. No evidence contradicting the recommendation was found, and a study among women in China found a decrease in congenital syphilis after implementation of a screening program."

Posted by Jacqueline Colclough, Esquire

As the official beginning of summer approaches with Memorial Day Weekend, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and other health organizations are undertaking efforts to education the public about skin cancer risks and prevention.

According to the American Cancer Society, over one million people across the United States are currently affected by skin cancer. This year alone, more than 68,700 new cases of melanoma, the most serious of skin cancers, are expected nationally. Precautions such as avoiding sun exposure during midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, and avoiding tanning beds and sun lamps are all important measures in the prevention of skin cancer.

Posted by Jacqueline Colclough, Esquire

According to Medical News Today, AdvanDx, a leading provider of advanced molecular diagnostic products, announced that it has received FDA clearance for a diagnostic test to detect Streptococcus agalactiae, commonly known as Group B Strep. The 90 minute test enables rapid and highly sensitive detection of Group B Strep to help detect colonization in pregnant women.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that an "investigation by Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington found 'a number of serious questions' about a study by a former surgeon at the hospital evaluating the use of a bone-growth protein in soldiers with leg fractures."  The product at the center of the study, Infuse, is a bone-growth drug that is widely used in hospitals and by physicians to treat broken bones. The report goes on to state that the former Walter Reed surgeon "forged his purported co-authors' signatures on the study and that the number of injured soldiers differs from the Army's records of its wartime casualties. Hospital officials said the study was based on 'falsified information.'"

WSJ was not the only periodical to challenge the study by Timothy R. Kuklo. The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported that  the surgeon "published a study that reported a bone growth drug sold by Medtronic Inc. had a higher success rate than Walter Reed doctors could verify."  Medtronic has confirmed that he "was a paid consultant, but that Medtronic did not review or finance the study."

If the study was indeed falsified, it woul dbe another example of putting profits over people.  Patients rely on drug and device manufacturers conducting ethical and reliable studies.  Pushing drugs and devices into teh marketplace and disseminating promotional materials that are false or misleading can cause serious and potentially deadly consequences.  

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Elizabeth Cohen, of CNN, authored an interesting article on the difficult task of receiving insurance coverage for a pre-existing condition.  This problem often occurs when a child, who has a serious health condition, becomes too old to be covered by her parent's health plan.  Cohen writes: "According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 21 percent of people who apply for health insurance on their own get turned down, charged a higher price or offered a plan that excludes coverage for their pre-existing condition."  Cohen lists five tips to obtaining coverage for a pre-existing condition:

1. Become a group of one.
2. If you've been laid off, get COBRA.
3. When you lose your employer-related insurance, apply for new insurance within 63 days.
4. Find out whether your state has a high-risk pool.
5. See whether your professional organization offers group insurance.

For more help in finding insurance when you have a pre-existing condition, you can contact the Cover Me Foundation at 877-678-7631 or Coverage For All at 800-234-1317.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Dow Jones Newswires  reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has urged Sanofi-Aventis SA, a drug manufacturer, "to stop distributing certain promotional material for its breast cancer drug, Taxotere [docetaxel], saying the material misleadingly claims the medicine is more effective than proven."  According to the report, the FDA has indicated that "binders with reprinted medical studies claim Sanofi's Taxotere is better than other medicines to treat patients with breast cancer after prior chemotherapy treatments failed," yet the "FDA is unaware of substantial evidence to support these claims."

We encourage our readers to be very careful when reading or listening to promotional materials disseminated by drug companies.  All too often these materials are misleading and are driven by the drug companies' desire to maximize its profits.   We believe that people should be above profits and that promotional materials must be accurate and properly informative.  If profits are put above people, public health will be compromised.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

According to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a new limited study questions whether aspirin is actually any better than a placebo in preventing cardiovascular events for patients with peripheral arterial disease.

"Despite being recommended in current guidelines, aspirin seems no better than placebo in preventing cardiovascular events in patients with peripheral arterial disease, according to a JAMA meta-analysis. However, editorialists (and the analysts themselves) question the study's power to detect a true difference.

The analysis included nearly 5300 patients in 18 controlled trials examining the effect of aspirin (some used aspirin plus dipyridamole) versus placebo on the occurrence of cardiovascular events. The primary composite endpoint (nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke, and cardiovascular death) did not occur significantly less often among drug recipients than among controls. However, treatment was associated with a significant decrease in nonfatal stroke alone.
Both the authors and editorialists point to the lack of data underlying evidence-based guidelines, and they argue for the performance of larger, higher-quality trials."

Click here to read the fee abstract fo the JAMA article.

Elizabeth Landau, of CNN, has published a fascinating article concerning new methods of preventing and treating blindness.  Ms. Landau discusses numerous topics, including, stem cell research as well as technological advancements used to assist persons suffering from blindness.

The article states that "a new study in the Journal of Archives of Ophthalmology shows that a single serving of fish per week is associated with a reduced risk of incident early age-related macular degeneration, a disease that is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people older than 60."  

The article then highlights the interesting advancements in technology which have served to assist persons suffering from blindness.  For instance, blind persons are now able to use speech access software to browse the Internet.   Moreover, some movie theaters are now providing special earpieces that have voice commentary describing what's on screen. In addition, visually impaired individuals can choose to use a device that takes a picture of text, such as a menu, and reads it back.

For more information, please review the entire article. 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently filed a lawsuit stating that patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer are unconstitutional and invalid.  The patents are owned by Myriad Genetics and the University of Utah Research Foundation.  The ACLU is arguing that patenting the genes limits valuable research on this important health issue. 

More than 192,000 U.S. women receive breast cancer diagnoses every year, and about 5 to 10 percent of those cases are a hereditary form of the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 -- short for breast cancer 1 and breast cancer 2 -- are involved in many cases of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers, the institute said.  BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the genes patented by Myriad and others. 

The ACLU states that "Myriad's monopoly on the BRCA genes makes it impossible for women to access other tests or get a second opinion about their results, and allows Myriad to charge a high rate for their tests – over $3,000, which is too expensive for some women to afford."

For more information on this topic, please review the following articles published by CNN and the ACLU. 

During the Heart Rhythm Society's Annual Meeting, the first comprehensive guidance on implantable cadioverter defibrillators (ICD) lead performance has been released.  The emphasis of the guidance "promotes confidence, trust and transparency in the surveillance, analysis and reporting of lead performance information."

The press release issued by the Heart Rhythm Society includes the following recommendations for clinicians on various issues:

• Informed consent
• Monitoring of device performance
• Clinical presentation of abnormal lead performance
• Clinical management when abnormal lead performance is suspected
• Special considerations for pediatric patients
• Clinician responsibilities for reporting suspected or definite lead related problems

Reuters News details highlights of the meeting in the following report:

"A cardiologists group called for closer monitoring of the performance of wire leads that connect implanted defibrillators and pacemakers to the heart in the wake of malfunctions that led to patient deaths and product recalls in 2007.

The Heart Rhythm Society, which represents doctors who treat cardiac arrhythmias, issued recommendations on Wednesday at its annual meeting in Boston. Among other things, it called for greater visibility of data collected on product performance.

"The measurement and reporting of lead performance are important for clinical decision making, for setting realistic expectations for patients and physicians, for transparency, and for monitoring and improving performance," said Dr. William Maisel, cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and co-chair of the group's task force on lead performance.

The guidelines cover pre-market evaluation and post-market monitoring of the devices, the threshold for action and communication after abnormal lead performance is identified, and clinical recommendations for physicians.

Recommendations include use of remote monitoring and a patient registry as surveillance tools.

The group encouraged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to provide guidance on when and how manufacturers can legally use terms other than "recall" in their product advisory notifications.

"When lead malfunctions are communicated to physicians, patients and the public, the language should be crafted to avoid unnecessary anxiety or inappropriate interventions," said task force co-chair Dr. Robert Hauser, of the Minneapolis Heart Institute. "For example, the term 'recall' should not be used because it falsely implies that the lead should be removed and returned to the manufacturer."

Medtronic halted sales of its Sprint Fidelis lead in 2007 after five patients died, possibly because their leads had fractured. The company is the largest maker of implantable cardioverter defibrillators, or ICDs, that treat abnormally rapid heartbeats.

Besides the guidelines on performance of the devices, the group also set standards to guide physicians who extract leads from patients when the devices wear down.

Among the recommendations are thresholds for the number of lead removal procedures that doctors should perform in training and on an annual basis.

"There were perceptions that things have changed about lead performance," said Dr. Bruce Wilkoff of the Cleveland Clinic.

"Lead performance, if anything, has improved over the years," he said.

But as the volume of procedures has risen into the millions, Wilkoff said, the risk of failure has increased."

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with manufacturers OSI and Genentech, notified healthcare professionals of new safety information that has been added to the " WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS" sections of the prescribing information for Tarceva.  The FDA reports that "[g]astrointestinal perforation (including fatalities), bullous, blistering and exfoliative skin conditions including cases suggestive of Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis, in some cases fatal, and ocular disorders, including corneal perforation or ulceration have been reported during use of Tarceva." (emphasis added).  Tarceva has been used to treat patients with certain kinds of lung cancer after at least one prior chemotherapy regimen proved to be unsuccessful.  It has also been prescribed to treat patients with pancreatic cancer.

To read the entire FDA report, please click here.

Medications can have serious side-effects, especially if warnings and precautions are not taken seriously. Doctors should fully inform patients of all risks associated with prescribed medications and patients should never hesitate to ask their doctors for more information if they are confused about the risks of certian medications.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America. It doesn't have to be that way, though.  Recognizing the early signs of stroke and receiving appropriate treatment in a timely manner is essential.

We encourage our readers to learn and share with family and friends the following main symptoms of stroke as defined by the American Stroke Association:

• "Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause"

We also encourage you to be aware of the hospitals in your area that have advanced stroke treatment staff and equipment.  These facilities should have a multi-disciplinary team of physicians, including neurosurgeons and endovascular therapists, ready to promptly treat stroke victims.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medical errors, including the failure to properly treat stroke.  If you need a patient advocate, we recommend that you read an article about medical malpractice claims authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Cholesterol can be a confusing topic to many people.  Cholesterol is a type of fat called a lipid.  The body uses it for many things, such as making new cells. Your liver makes the cholesterol that your body needs. You also get cholesterol from the foods you eat. Your body needs some cholesterol. But if you have too much, it starts to build up in your arteries and can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

A recent article on Health.com sheds light on five popular myths, which are:

1. Americans have the highest cholesterol in the world
2. Eggs are evil
3. Kids can't have high cholesterol
4. Food is heart-healthy if it says "0 mg cholesterol"
   
5. Cholesterol is always a bad thing

For more information on this important issue, please click here. 

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that Biosite and the FDA have notified medical professionals of a Class 1 recall of the Biosite-brand Triage Cardiac Panel.  This particular panel is a test used by healthcare specialists to diagnose a heart attack (myocardial infarction).  However, according to the FDA, the "use of the affected lot may lead to false negative results with patient samples containing troponin I at very low levels, with CK-MB, and with myoglobin, possibly resulting in missed or incorrect diagnosis. A false negative test result would indicate that a person has not had a heart attack or heart muscle injury when in fact they have."

All Biosite customers must stop using all Biosite-brand Triage Cardiac Panels immediately.  Reliance upon these defective tests can lead to mistreatment of people with otherwise treatable heart conditions.

To read the entire recall, please click here.

Our firm has experience pursing cases for patients that involve tragic medication errors,  pharmacy mix ups and unsafe medications.  If you think you have been injured by a defective product, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

The Women's Health Initiative began a fifteen-year research program in 1991 with a goal of addressing "the most common causes of death, disability and poor quality of life for postmenopausal women - cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis."  Two studies included in the hormone trial were the estrogen-plus-progestin study of women with a uterus and the estrogen-alone study of women without a uterus.  The estrogen-plus-progestin portion of the program was halted in 2002, after results indicated an increase in susceptibility to heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and blood clots.

Advice given to patients after the WHI trial ended was for those who were taking hormone therapy  to protect their hearts to stop immediately. Both patients and their doctors began receiving and giving confusing and often conflicting advice.

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, "Once again scientists are sharply divided over whether, and to what degree, hormone therapy should be rehabilitated. In the seven years since the WHI dropped its bombshell, the study's results have been endlessly analyzed, with detractors wondering how a single randomized, controlled trial, even one as mammoth as this, could have negated dozens of observational and epidemiological studies that showed estrogen reduced women's heart disease risk by as much as 50 percent.

"A misunderstanding of the WHI results has turned off so many women and their physicians from hormone therapy," laments Frederick Naftolin, director of reproductive biology research and co-director of menopause medicine at New York University School of Medicine. "And there may be a price to pay. Women may die prematurely from heart disease and suffer unnecessarily from fractures or diabetes because they or their doctors didn't want to consider estrogen."

The newest HRT studies address the timing for initiation of  HRTwo new studies are underway to determine the effect of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) when it begins closer to the onset of menopause.

• The Early Versus Late Intervention Trial With Estradiol study compares the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) when HRT is prescribed for women who recently entered menopause as opposed to those who have been in menopause for more than 10 years.  Findings are expected to be released in 2010.
• The Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study focuses on whether a combination of estrogen and progestin prevents or reduces the progression of atherosclerosis.  Results are expected to be released in 2012.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Former patients at several Veterans Administration Hospitals have been tested positive for HIV or hepatitis following exposure to dirty medical equipment.  According to a recent report at Chron.com, "[f]ive patients have tested positive for HIV and 33 have tested positive for hepatitis since February, when the VA started notifying more than 11,000 people treated at three VA medical centers to get follow-up blood checks because they could have been exposed to infectious body fluids." The specific VA hospitals involved are located in Miami, Fla., Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga.

The VA determined last December that its equipment used for colonoscopies and ear, nose and throat procedures "was either not properly cleaned or set up", states the report.  Despite the medical errors, Dr. Jim Bagian, the VA's chief patient safety officer, boldly proclaimed that patients will never be able to prove that they were infected by the tainted equipment, the report comments. Congress is not satisfied with this statement and wants more information.

To read the entire article, please click here.

Senior partner Salvatore Zambri has handled many cases involving patients becoming infected with HIV as a result of medical errors.  There are clear standards that apply to hospitals governing the sterilization of medical devices and products.  If these procedures are not followed, the consequences can be severe.

If you think you have been injured by a defective or unclean device, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing tomorrow regarding The Medical Device Safety Act of 2009.   This is an important piece of legislation that should become law.  We encourage our readers to contact their representatives in Congress and urge them to vote in favor of the bill.

The Medical Device Safety Act of 2009 is important for two principal reasons.  First, it will allow every American patient to hold manufacturers of defective medical devices accountable for injuries and deaths caused by unsafe products.  It will also prevent the manufacturers of defective devices from receiving total immunity from any claims simply because the devices were previously approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

On March 19, 2009, the editors of the New England Journal of Medicine endorsed the Medical Device Safety Act. They stated:

"Patients and physicians deserve to be fully informed about the benefits and risks of medical devices, and the companies making the devices should be held accountable if they fail to achieve this standard. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation and to allow lawsuits by injured patients, which have been an important part of the regulatory framework and very effective in keeping medical devices safe, to proceed in the courts."

The New York Times has also endorsed the bill.

Medical devices can be extremely dangerous, and the FDA often does a poor job screening defective products from the public.  If your doctor wants to insert a medical device into your body, ask questions to be sure your physician has sufficiently investigated the device's safety and effectiveness.

If you think you have been injured by a defective device, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

An editorial from yesterday's New York Times challenges the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , suggesting that the agency has been too lenient in approving medical devices.  The article notes that a “vaginal sling,” used to control urinary leaks, that was previously sold by the Mentor Corporation,  a company that was acquired by Johnson & Johnson, has caused serious medical problems for many women throughout the country. In one instance, a woman's "surgeon inserted a strip of synthetic mesh — Mentor’s ObTape vaginal sling — under her urethra. It stopped the leakage but soon caused pain and bleeding as pieces of the sling worked their way through her vaginal wall. The woman has had five operations to remove bits of the sling, and another is scheduled."

Last year, the FDA received more than 1,000 reports directly from manufacturers about complications with "vaginal-sling"-like devices, according to the report.  About one-fourth of the complaints concerned "ObTape" specifically.  "The injuries may stem from the fact that far too many medical devices are cleared for sale without undergoing rigorous clinical trials for safety and efficacy."

To read the entire article, please click here.

Medical devices can be extremely dangerous, and the FDA often does a poor job screenign defective products from the public.  If your doctor wants to insert a medical device into your body, ask questions to be sure your physician has sufficiently investigated the device's safety and effectiveness.

If you think you have been injured by a defective device, we encourage you to read a portion of a book regarding products liability authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

A recent story in the Washington Post highlights the anxiety and insecurity often experienced by families who lose loved ones to eating disorders.  Extreme measures for weight control, serious health problems and sometimes even death may result from untreated or under-treated eating disorders.  Many complex reasons can contribute to eating disorders and many factors contribute to misunderstandings about eating disorders. 

Listed below are several helpful resources for individuals or families dealing with eating disorders. 

• The National Eating Disorder Association information and referral help line: 800-931-2237. Web site: http://www.NationalEatingDisorders.org.
• The Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center: http://www.edreferral.com.
• Something Fishy, a Web site offering information and peer support: http://www.somethingfishy.org.
• The eating disorders program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore: 410-955-3863 (outpatient and consultation clinic), 410-501-5467 (inpatient or partial hospitalization programs).

In a recent health blog appearing in the New York Times, seven common sense suggestions are provided.  "Every year, there are 36,000 deaths due to flu, mostly among the elderly, very young children and those with compromised immune systems. In the United States, the new swine flu, officially called A(H1N1), does not appear to be more dangerous than the seasonal flu, but experts are uncertain as to its future course."

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found that more than 70 weight-loss products contain prescription drugs, including four illegal drugs that have not approved by the FDA for sale in the United States, according to Public Citizen, citing its Worst Pills, Best Pills News article released last week on WorstPills.org, the organization’s drug safety website.

The FDA has announced what is obvious--that adding active prescription drug ingredients to otherwise ineffective weight-loss supplements is not only illegal, but can be extremely dangerous.  "For instance, sibutramine (brand name Meridia, an appetite suppressant available by prescription only and a controlled substance) and fluoxetine (brand names Prozac and Serafem, an antidepressant available by prescription only) were among the drugs found in the supplements", states Public Citizen. 

Although the FDA is seeking a voluntary recall of the illegal products, some say the FDA is not acting strong enough.  "The FDA’s response has been inadequate,” said Sidney M. Wolfe, M.D., director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group and acting Public Citizen president. “Some of the drugs found in these supplements are dangerous and are putting people at an unacceptable risk of injury. To protect citizens, the agency needs to go further and seize these products.”

To read the entire article, please click here.

We encourage our readers to be very careful about what medications they ingest.  All medications should be supervised by a physician.  Don't become a victim of others' greed.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by Jacqueline Colclough

Over the years, numerous studies have shown that depression is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, but the nature of this association has never been clear. Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have now revealed that depression is linked with the accumulation of visceral fat (fat packed between the waistline and internal organs), which has long been known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have warned the public to be wary of entities selling products through the internet "that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus"--the swine flu.  According to the FDA, many of the products are fraudulently advertised, and officials are going after the perpetrators, who face serious consequences if found guilty of fraud.

“The last thing any consumer needs right now is to be conned by someone selling fraudulent flu remedies,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.  “The FTC will act swiftly against companies that resort to deceptive advertising.”

To read the FDA press release, please click here.

We encourage our readers to be very careful about what medications they ingest.  All medications should be supervised by a physician.  Don't become a victim of others' greed.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Approximately 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to Medical News Today, three studies compared all of the DNA of people with ASD with that of people who do not, and small genetic differences were discovered that impact the manner in which brain cells connect to make the circuitry of a child's brain. The largest of the three studies evaluated the DNA of over 10,000 people, states the report.

These finding suggest that "genetic differences in how cells in the brain link together could influence susceptibility to ASD on a large scale," states the report.  Scientists are now "starting to see genetic pathways in ASD that make sense."

According to the report, scientists plan to do a more extensive genome-wide association study to discover more pieces of the complex ASD genetics puzzle.

To read the entire article, please click here.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

For nearly thirty years, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) has been consider relatively safe.  A recent report in the New York Times, however, reports that new epidemiological studies and scientific techniques have revealed findings that suggest that "there may be some abnormal patterns of gene expression associated with IVF and a possible increase in rare but devastating genetic disorders that appear to be directly linked to those unusual gene expression patterns."  The report also states that, with IVF, there "appears to be an increased risk of premature birth and of babies with low birth weight for their gestational age."

To read the entire article, please click here.

If you are considering an IVF procedure, we encourage you to speak with your doctors about all potential risks and benefits, so that you can make fully informed decisions.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The economy is forcing twenty percent (20%) of Americans to delay or avoid needed medical care, according to a recent Thomson Reuters survey. The survey also reports that more than 20% of Americans believe they will have difficulty paying for health insurance or health services over the next three months.

"We are seeing a positive correlation between Americans losing their access to employer-sponsored health insurance and deferral of healthcare," said Gary Pickens, of Reuters' health-care division, who led the study.  "if this trend continues, it will ultimately have an impact on our collective well-being."

To read the entire article, please click here.

If you are having difficulty affording health coverage, we urge you to contact local and state agencies to see if you qualify for Medicaid or other benefits.  Certain private companies, like Walgreens, provide programs for the unemployed and uninsured, as well.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

According to MercuryNews.com, technologists monitoring the threat have determined that hundreds of medical devices used at hospitals throughout the country are infected by the computer worm known as "Conficker".  The infected devices include MRI machines and hundreds, if not thousands, of other medical devices.  Manufacturer of the devices told investigators that "none of the machines were supposed to be connected to the Internet — and yet they were. And because the machines were running an unpatched version of Microsoft's operating system used in embedded devices they were vulnerable," states the report.

The report explains that "Conficker spreads by copying itself onto machines running Microsoft's Windows operating system that lack the security patch from October. Conficker installs itself and periodically reaches out for directions from its maker that cause it to rewrite its code, increasing its capabilities for malicious action and decreasing its chance of detection."  Apparently, patients have not yet been harmed, but it is clear that these infected devices place patients at risk.

To read the entire article, please click here.

Many Americans are injured or killed each year due to defective products.  For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030. 

Posted by Victor E. Long, Esq.

According to a recent study published in the April 2009,  New England Journal of Medicine, although uncontrolled asthma may increase the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, women with well-controlled asthma in pregnancy generally have good outcomes.  The recommendations in the article are consistent with the guidelines published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2008.

Avoiding allergens and irritants, such as tobacco smoke, that exacerbate asthma can improve maternal well-being and lessen the need for medication. Additional information is available thourh American College.

According to a recent investigation by the Associated Press, "U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water - contamination the federal government has consistently overlooked."

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The Washington Post reported moments ago that Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has stated that there are now six "probable" cases of the swine flu in the state.  According to the report, of the six cases, three live in Anne Arundel and three reside in Baltimore County.  Each case is linked to individuals who have traveled out of the country to areas where swine flu has been present, including Mexico and the Caribbean, states the report.

"Maryland officials said they expect there will be additional cases in the state,"  according to the report.  "O'Malley (D) said the state will maintain close contact with local health departments and is working to build a stockpile of anti-viral medication."  So far, there are no reported cases of swine flu in either the District of Columbia or Virginia.

To read the entire article, please click here.

Previously on the DC Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have posted the following articles:

• Swine Flu Raising More Questions Than Answers While the U.S. Sees Its First Fatality;
• World Health Organization Raises Swine Flu Pandemic Alert to Phase 4
• CDC Provides Swine Flu Questions and Answers.

If you have been in contact with anyone who has traveled to parts of the world where swine flu has been detected, we encourage you to seek a medical evaluation.  Obviously, if you suffer any symptoms associated with swine flu, please seek medical attention immediately.

For information, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

The New York Times reported recently that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will conduct a rare meeting to discuss its device division, which is responsible for, among other things, evaluating, monitoring, and regulating medical devices.  According to the report, Dr. Donna-Bea Tillman, the agency's director of device evaluation, called an "all-hands" meeting.  This comes in response to a letter from nine scientists who have written President Obama, charging that some in the agency have acted illegally, exposing the public to harmful, even deadly, products.  

In the letter to President Obama, the scientists claimed that the device center inappropriately approved imaging studies designed to detect breast cancer and also allowed hospitals to wash and reuse device that were designed as single-use products, among other things.  Congress instituted an investigation into the charges. In January, the Government Accountability Office released a report that criticized the device center.

To read the entire Times article, please click here.

We hope that the FDA will seriously evaluate its deficiencies and make the changes that are necessary to protect the public from dangerous devices.

For information about defective devices and your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Each year in America there are approximately 16,000 new diagnoses of esphogeal cancer, reports an article in Medical New Today.  Unfortunately, according to the report, only 10% of those diagnosed survive the disease.  The principal reason for this alarming statistic is the lack of early detection.

It is widely recognized that smokers are predisposed to esophageal cancer.  However, as the article points out, there are several other contributing factors, including:

• Excessive alcohol consumption;
• Obesity;
• Lye ingestion; and,
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux or heartburn.

To read the entire article, please click here.

We encourage our readers to speak with their doctors about their health risks.  Physicians should know to check for illnesses when their patients manifest certain health risks. 

For information about your legal rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by Patrick M. Regan

The CBS Evening News (4/22, story 8, 0:20, Couric) reported "an update...on the so-called morning-after birth control pill." On its website, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Apr. 22 that "it will obey a judge's order and allow 17-year-olds to buy it without a prescription. The contraceptive, also called Plan B, is taken after unprotected sex and before an egg is fertilized." The FDA's decision, "which overturns one of the most controversial health rulings of the Bush administration, was scorned by abortion opponents and hailed by their abortion rights counterparts."

Posted by Amy S. Gurgle, Esq.

A new study has determined that women whose healthy ovaries are removed during hysterectomy have a higher likelihood of developing a condition leading to death, including lung cancer and heart disease, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Posted by:  Salvatore J. Zambri and Catherine Bertram

Not even the inventors of Botox could have anticipated how widely used the drug has become.  Once thought to be the answer to wrinkles, Botox is now being administered to treat all kinds of  ailments, including,  migraines, speech impediments, skin disorders, muscle and gland problems, and much more, according to a recent publication in the New York Times. 

The Times report quotes Dr. Mitchell F. Brin, a neurologist who is the chief scientific officer for Botox at Allergan, the drug’s maker, who stated, “We see it as a molecule that keeps on giving.  As we understand it more, it gives us new ideas of how to use it." But not everyone agrees.  “It’s trial and error with a nerve poison,” says Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, the director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group. 

To read the entire Times article, please click here.

Botox is a nerve poison produced by the bacteria that cause botulism, a disease that paralyzes muscles and can be fatal. Before taking any medication, please be sure you are evaluated by your physician.  The wrongful administration of medication can cause serious permanent injury or death. 

For information about defective medications and your rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

Thyroid problems can go easily undiagnosed, especially because pregnant women are understandably thinking of lots of others things besides the health of their thyroid.  The thyroid gland produced hormones that regulate many body functions, including metabolism, heart-rate, and body weight.  The development of hyperthyroidism (the production of too many hormones) and hypothyroidism (too little hormones) can lead to premature birth, pre-eclampsia, and diminished intelligence in newborns. 

In a recent New Your Times article, it is reported that 20% (1out of every 5) of women of child-bearing age suffer from hypothyroidism, the more worrisome of the two illnesses. 19% of children born of mothers with hypothyroidism obtain IQ levels of 85 or lower, states the report.

To read the full article, click here.

If you suffer from fatigue, overly-dry skin, anxiety, inability to sleep, or unexplainable weight loss, you may want to get a thyroid test, especially if you are pregnant or desire to become pregnant.

We encourage our readers to be active and follow your doctor's instructions on fitness.  Be safe and healthy.

For information, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Posted by: Salvatore J. Zambri, Esquire and Catherine Bertram, Esquire

According to the New York Times, a new study found that pregnant women who took a popular epilepsy drug-- valproate, sold generically and under the brand name Depakote-- to treat migraines, pain and psychiatric disorders had children whose I.Q. scores were significantly lower than similar children who were not exposed to the drug.  Valporate remains the second-most-popular antiseizure medication used for epilepsy, says the report, but users must fully appreciate  its risks.

“My thought is that if I make a mistake and the patient has a breakthrough seizure, I can change the medication and switch the patient to valproate,” said Dr. Kimford J. Meador, professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and the first author of the new study. “If I put the patient on valproate as a first choice and the baby has cognitive impairment or a malformation, I can’t repair that.”

To read the full Times report, please click here.

Before taking any medication, please be sure you are evaluated by your physician.  The consequences of mixing medications and taking them while pregnant can be devastating. 

For information about defective medications and your rights, please click here or contact us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Common ultrasound imaging may be able to reveal which patients face a particularly high risk for heart attack or other heart-related illnesses, according to research recently published in the journal Radiology -- official journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

Rotavirus cases in the current 2007-2008 season showed up much later than usual and have been less severe, overall, than during any previous season on record, according to an interim report issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A six-fold increase in the number of liver cancer patients receiving transplants has been linked to a method of donor organ allocation which was initiated in early 2002.  The research finding was recently published in Gastroenterology, official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

Whole milk is as effective as diluted barium when used as an oral contrast agent for patients undergoing a gastrointestinal CT scan.  It's cheaper and safer for patients, according to a new study published in a recent edition of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

The reliability of mammography results varies significantly between medical facilities, according to new research published in a recent edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).  Even more importantly, certain organizational characteristics tend to predict which facilities will return a more accurate reading.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) -- a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recently launched an educational campaign to encourage patients (particularly those 50 years of age or older) to speak openly with their primary care providers about complementary and alternative medicines.  The campaign, known as Time to Talk, focuses on medical practices and products that aren't presently considered to be conventional medicine -- items such as herbal supplements, meditation and acupuncture.

Bacterial infections such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus -- sometimes acquired in medical facilities -- may be responsible for many cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).  The finding is the result of new research published in a recent edition of the British medical journal The Lancet.

Patients who suffer a heart attack often subsequently develop acute kidney injury, a complication significantly increases a patient's risk of death.  The finding is the result of new research published in a recent edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

According to statistics reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost one in three Americans will develop shingles (herpes zoster) during their lifetime.  The disease is particularly dangerous to people over age 60 and those who are immunocompromised.  Fortunately, there is a way to reduce the risk of developing shingles and the long-term pain that often follows an outbreak of the disease.

Women who quit smoking lower their risk of dying from coronary heart disease by 47% within five years of smoking their last cigarette.  The risks associated with dying from other smoking-related diseases also decreases, but after different lengths of time, depending on the disease.  The findings are the result of new research recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The 2008 edition of the schedule of recommended immunizations for people 18 years of age and younger has been posted by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) -- a division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The advisory committee releases new recommendations annually to reflect changes in vaccine formulations and current recommendations for the use of licensed vaccines. 

This summer, don't wait until the last few busy weeks before fall school registration begins to make your child's vaccination appointment -- schedule an appointment now, and enjoy a safer summer. 

Changes from the 2007 immunization schedule are as follows:

Elevated levels of allergens in the home are associated with asthma symptoms in allergic individuals, and asthmatics who experience allergies may improve their health by reducing allergen exposures.  The findings are the result of new research published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, and reported in a recent press release by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

A newly updated annual ranking of state medical boards by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has revealed widespread discrepancies in both the numbers of disciplinary actions taken against physicians' licenses, and the rates of those disciplinary actions from state to state.  Though the specific numbers have changed again this year, a pronounced trend of significant discrepancies between individual states has held constant for years.  Unless geography influences a physician's competence, these state-by-state discrepancies point to a dangerously inadequate national system of physician oversight -- one that could conceivably allow dangerous, incompetent physicians to continue to practice medicine by moving from state to state.

Despite the rising costs of fuel this year, millions of Americans will be hitting the nation's roads and airports for a summer vacation -- and for those who suffer from seasonal allergies, summer traveling can pose some unique challenges.  The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), reminds travelers that the climate of your destination, rather than your home, determines the pollens and molds to which you'll be exposed on vacation, and that all seasonal allergy sufferers should take time to plan their clothing and needed medications appropriately. 

The academy offers the following additional allergy management tips for summer vacationers:

New hemoglobin-based artificial blood -- still unapproved for use in the U.S., but heavily studied -- appears to raise a patient's risk of heart attack and death according to an exhaustive review of clinical research data.  This latest research was published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).  The findings have spurred critics to allege that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) put clinical trial participants in imminent danger by failing to detect or act on research data illustrating significant increases in the rates of heart attack and death reported in trials of these blood substitutes.

Laser eye surgeries such as LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) are quickly becoming some of the most common and technologically sophisticated procedures available for correcting relatively minor vision problems.  Generally performed on an out-patient basis with the aid of only anesthetic eye drops, LASIK procedures are usually quick and easy, and the results are often remarkable.  Unfortunately, however, the results can be underwhelming, too -- and occasionally even catastrophic. 

To help clear up some misconceptions and misinformation regarding LASIK procedures, and to help consumers better understand the risks of laser eye surgeries, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established a web page devoted specifically to patient education.  According to the agency, there are a few categories of people who should think twice before they attempt to resolve their vision problems with LASIK surgery.

Melanoma is one of the deadliest skin cancers, but new research demonstrates that melanomas located on the scalp or neck are even twice as deadly as those found on other parts of the body.  The finding is the result of a study published in a recent edition of the medical journal Archives of Dermatology. 

A Mumps comeback in the U.S. in 2006 was alarming in its severity, and the disease may now take several years to completely eradicate, according to federal public health experts.  Interestingly, the viral outbreak occurred despite the routine administration of a second dose of a mumps vaccine throughout the early 1990s.  These findings were reported in a recent edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).  Among other data presented in the article is the fact that 84% of people between 18 and 24 years of age who contracted Mumps during the outbreak had already been given the second recommended dose of MMR vaccine -- a dose that should have protected them from Mumps.

Physicians treating chest pain in patients who are young, or in those who have no obvious risk factors for heart disease, should ask those patients about their potential cocaine use.  The advice is a key recommendation by the American Heart Association (AHA), recently published in the medical journal Circulation. 

If you see someone suffer a heart attack and go unconscious, immediately dial 9-1-1 and begin pushing on his or her chest as hard and as often as you can -- don't stop until someone else can take over, or until paramedics arrive.  Those are the latest instructions from the American Heart Association (AHA), which is now confident that hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be done in an emergency, even by people who have no CPR training.  Throat sweeping and mouth-to-mouth emergency breathing are still recommended, but not for bystanders -- those components are only encouraged for trained medical personnel.  The organization's new position appears in the March 29 issue of the medical journal Circulation.

Emergency Room patients treated for severe asthma often continue to have poorly controlled symptoms as much as one month afterward, according to new research published in a recent issue of  Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

West Nile virus infections can lead to significant long-term health problems, including mental and functional impairment and depression, according to data from an ongoing National Institutes of Health study recently presented at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, Georgia.  The research data collected thus far, as reported by Reuters Health, suggests that the most common long-term symptoms include fatigue, weakness, depression, personality changes, difficulty walking, memory loss and blurry vision.

An American woman's risk of developing particular skin cancers is influenced by where she lives, according to a new study published in a recent edition of Archives of Internal Medicine.

National survey findings released this month demonstrate that although most adults are aware of serious eye diseases commonly associated with visual impairment, they lack critical knowledge concerning how and when to seek timely detection and treatment of those diseases.  The Survey of Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Eye Health and Disease, was jointly sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF).  Conducted in 2005, the survey data was made available just this month. 

Endometriosis is an illness that affects women during their reproductive years, but frequently goes undiagnosed.  In women who suffer from the condition, endometrium-like tissue grows outside of the uterus, often throughout the abdominal cavity, leading to a variety of symptoms that aren't routinely seen together.

A diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains is an excellent defense against many chronic diseases -- even some cancers -- but routinely including them in your diet can seem challenging.  University of Michigan dietary experts advise this approach:  Include them for just one day.  One day of healthy lifestyle choices, they reason, can give you the perspective and direction needed to stay the course.  Erica Wald, registered dietitian for the University of Michigan's health promotion division, provides the following suggestions for eating healthier and removing many processed foods from your diet:

As a hospital patient, you're significantly less likely to survive a heart attack on night and weekend shifts, according to a new study published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). 

Health complications during pregnancy can be scary and complicated, not to mention fatal.  Fortunately, there are a number of well-understood pregnancy-related health risks that can be eliminated through education and careful prevention measures.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer the following infection prevention tips to ensure prenatal health, in observance of National Prenatal Infection Prevention Month:

The earlier evenings and colder weather of winter are hardly as uplifting as a crisp, spring morning.  For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), however, the winter season can be dangerously depressing.  According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, SAD may be rooted in three components of patients' chemical makeup:

Breast cancer patients who elect reconstruction surgery immediately following a mastectomy suffer substantially higher rates of surgical infection when they choose to use surgical implants, rather than their own abdominal fat, to shape their breasts.  The finding is the result of new research published in the journal Archives of Surgery. 

Abdominal obesity indices are a better predictor of heart disease than body mass index, according to a new study published in Circulation, the official journal of the American Heart Association.  According to the authors of the study, reliance on a waist-hip ratio, rather than a waist measurement alone, generates more accurate predictions of heart disease risk in both men and women.

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued clinical recommendations for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The recommendations are published in the November 6, 2007 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine and include the use of spirometry to diagnose airflow obstruction as well as oxygen therapy in patients with resting hypoxemia. 

A new study of doctor-patient conversations regarding domestic violence reveals that cases of abuse are likely under-identified in U.S. Emergency Rooms, and that properly trained physicians can successfully convince the victims of domestic abuse to reveal the truth of their injuries, even in a hectic clinical environment.  The study, which helps to highlight the link between physical and social ills, was underwritten by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and published in the latest edition of Annals of Internal Medicine. 

There is an abundance of medical information on the Internet, but unfortunately, not all of it is accurate.  Previously on the DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we've highlighted trustworthy sources of medical information on the web.  Distributors of drugs and dietary supplements sometimes use deliberately misleading marketing ploys to sell their products, though, and in those cases, knowing how to evaluate a website, itself, is a good way to safeguard against fraud.

According to studies conducted by British and Norwegian researchers, women with cardiovascular risk factors are at increased risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy, and pregnant women who do develop preeclampsia are at higher risk for developing heart disease later in life. Preeclampsia, a condition in which abnormally high blood pressure develops during the second half of pregnancy, affects about 5 percent of all first pregnancies and presents serious risks to both mother and child. The findings of these studies are published in the November 2, 2007 online edition of the British Medical Journal.

The first-ever National Interstitial Cystitis Awareness Day was observed on October 31 this year.  The event was sponsored by the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH) to draw attention to a frequently misdiagnosed and misunderstood pelvic condition.  Interstitial Cystitis (IC), a painful and frequently debilitating chronic illness, is often incorrectly diagnosed as endometriosis, overactive bladder or recurrent urinary tract infection.

According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it appears that more people in the United State now die from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) than from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). MRSA, which is typically hospital acquired, or nosocomial, was responsible for an estimated 94,000 life-threatening infections and 18,650 deaths in 2005, while, in that same year, approximately 16,000 deaths were attributable to AIDS. The report is set forth in the October 17, 2007 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

A recent major epidemiological study led by McGill University researchers reveals that the human papillomavirus (HPV) screening test is far more accurate than the traditional Papanicolaou (Pap) test in detecting cervical cancer. The first round of the Canadian Cervical Cancer Screening Trial, led by Dr. Eduardo Franco, Director of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology at McGill's Faculty of Medicine, concluded that the HPV test's ability to accurately detect pre-cancerous lesions without generating false negatives was 94.6%, as opposed to 55.4% for the Pap test. The controlled randomized trial initially involved 10,154 women aged 30-69 years and spanned the years 2002 through 2005. It was the first of its kind conducted in North America for HPV testing as a stand-alone screening test for cervical cancer.

The National Cancer Institute recommends that women forty and older have mammograms every one to two years.  They should also have regular clinical breast examinations by a trained medical professional. Monthly breast self-exams are also important.

• "A breast that appears red, purple, pink or bruised
• A tender, firm and enlarged breast
• A warm feeling in the breast
• Itching of the breast
• Pain
• Ridged or dimpled skin texture, similar to an orange peel
• Thickened areas of skin
• Enlarged lymph nodes under the arm, above the collarbone or below the collarbone
• Flattening or retraction of the nipple
• Swollen or crusted skin on the nipple
• Change in color of the skin around the nipple (areola)"

Cholesterol-lowering drugs have long been employed to reduce the risk of heart disease, but they may also pose a risk of cancer, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.  According to research based on an evaluation of more than 41,000 cases, low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol have been associated with an increased incidence of cancer, as well as liver and muscle toxicity.  The findings give rise to new concerns regarding the relative necessity and benefits of pharmaceutical cholesterol treatment.  Researchers note that the study is not definitive, and further research is warranted.  Specifically, it is not clearly understood whether the perceived cancer risk is related primarily to low LDL cholesterol levels, or to the statins prescribed in order to lower the LDL levels. 

You should always consult your physician before beginning or discontinuing any medical treatment. 

Previously on the D.C. Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we posted an article concerning public health interventions that have lowered heart disease rates.

For information about your legal rights, please click here or call the law firm of Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC at 202-463-3030.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs have long been employed to reduce the risk of heart disease, but they may also increase your risk of cancer, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.  According to research based on an evaluation of more than 41,000 cases, low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol are associated with an increased incidence of cancer, as well as liver and muscle toxicity.

• "Tobacco Use:  Tobacco use increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Cigarette smoking promotes atherosclerosis and increases the levels of blood clotting factors, such as fibrinogen. Also, nicotine raises blood pressure, and carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that blood can carry. Exposure to other people's smoke can increase the risk of heart disease even for nonsmokers.

• Diet:  Several aspects of peoples' dietary patterns have been linked to heart disease and related conditions. These include diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol, which raise blood cholesterol levels and promote atherosclerosis. High salt or sodium in the diet causes raised blood pressure levels.

• Physical Inactivity:  Physical inactivity is related to the development of heart disease. It also can impact other risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, a low level of HDL (good) cholesterol, and diabetes. Regular physical activity can improve risk factor levels.

• Obesity:  Obesity is excess body fat. It is linked to higher LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to lower HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

• Alcohol:  Excessive alcohol use leads to an increase in blood pressure, and increases the risk for heart disease. It also increases blood levels of triglycerides which contributes to atherosclerosis."

• Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.
• Womens in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a periodic (regular) health exam by a health professional preferably every 3 years.  After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health professional every year.
• BSE (breast self exam) is an option for women starting in their 20s.  Women should be told about the benefits and limitations of BSE.  Women should report any breast changes to their health professional right away.
• Women at high risk (greater than 20% lifetime risk) should get an MRI and a mammogram every year.  Women at moderately increased risk (15-20% lifetime risk) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of adding MRI screening to their yearly mammogram.  Yearly MRI screening is not recommended for women whose lifetime risk of breast cancer is less than 15%."

• Stick with credible medical search sites (list and links are provided at end of this article).
• Get an information prescription  for a credible medical site from your doctor.
• Consider the source:  .gov represents government, .edu means academic institution, .org means a non-profit organization.
• Check for timeliness of the article and check multiple sources.
• Seek seals of approval.  Health on the Net (www.hon.ch) and URAC (www.urac.org) are both credible groups that approve websites based on standards for privacy, security and responsibility.
• Follow the money - always check to see who is advertising or sponsoring a site.
• Guard your privacy.  Read a website's privacy policy before joining.  If there is no prominently displayed policy, don't register with a  medical website.

With a $6 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts, there is a national campaign planned which calls for restrictions on the interactions between doctors and drug companies, and urges doctors to base their prescription writing on medical evidence not marketing.

“If you’ve been in the waiting room when these Chinese lunches are taken into the back office, it may raise the question whether the decisions are based on the best scientific evidence about medication or whether or not those Sichuan shrimp have something to do with the prescribing patterns,” said Jim O’Hara, the managing director of policy initiatives at Pew.

According to a recent updated release by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the adult immunization schedule has been modified.

•   Tetanus-Diphtheria Vaccine (all adults, every 10 years);
•   Influenza (Flu) Vaccine (adults 50 and older);
•   Pneumococcal Vaccine (adults 65 and older);
•   Hepatitis B Vaccine (adults at risk);
•   Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) Vaccine (susceptible adults);
•   Varicella (chickenpox) Vaccine (susceptible adults);
•   Vaccines for travelers (see CDC travel web site for specifics)."

Changes from last year’s recommendations include:

• Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine is now recommended across the board for some age groups.
• Meningococcal vaccine has been added to the list for when certain factors are present, and new recommendations have been added.

According to the CDC, all adults should be immunized against Hepatitis B, MMR, Tetanus-Diptheria, and Varicella.

Breast cancer specialists have debunked some common breast cancer myths, as reported in a recent article on Medical News Today.   Among the myths:

• I’m too young to worry about breast cancer.
• Radiation therapy is dangerous.
• My mammogram was normal, so I don’t have to worry about breast cancer.

Digital mammography, a type of mammogram that stores its images on a computer, allows for better screening of women under age 50, according to a study conducted by the National Cancer Institute. The technique also produces less radiation than a film mammogram.

For a list of federally certified mammography clinics, visit the Food and Drug Administration’s Certified Mammography Facilities Web site.

Close to 20,000 cases of kidney damage following bypass surgery occur in the U.S. every year, according to a study conducted at Duke University Medical Center.  While the rate of death from that complication has decreased over the past 16 years, the overall incidence of kidney damage has increased. Patients who develop kidney damage also experience much longer hospital stays.

The researchers noted that none of the prevention strategies for postoperative kidney damage seem to have had any effect on its incidence.

If you or a family member believes that you have a case involving surgery or complications from it, please contact us online at Regan Zambri & Long or call us at (202) 463-3030 for a free consultation. If you would like to receive our complementary electronic newsletter, please click here.

Patients who receive recommended antibiotics are less likely to die of the disease, according to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine. The risk of death declined by two-thirds for those given the recommended treatment within 48 hours of admission.

The study also found that those given the treatment were half as likely to die of pneumonia within 24 hours of admission.

If you or a family member believes that you have a case involving improper treatment for pneumonia, please contact us on-line at Regan Zambri & Long or call us at 202-463-3030 for a free consultation.  If you would like to receive our complimentary electronic newsletter, please click here.

Elderly people with diabetes are twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease as those without diabetes, according to a study in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal. The findings contrast the declining rate of death from cardiovascular disease in the overall population.

The study also found that women being treated with insulin were more likely to die than men being treated with insulin.

A 2002 study found that for each additional patient assigned to a nurse, patients saw a 7 percent increase in the chances they would die within 30 days of admission.

The original study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, has been confirmed by a study performed by the British Royal College of Nursing, which found that patients in hospitals with poor patient-nurse ratios were up to 26 percent more likely to die than patients in hospitals with lower patient-nurse ratios.

The studies also tracked nurse job satisfaction and burnout, and found that overworked nurses were much less satisfied and more susceptible to burnout than their counterparts at hospitals with lower patient-nurse ratios.

If you or a family member believes that you have a case involving improper nursing care, please contact us on-line at Regan Zambri & Long or call us at 202-463-3030 for a free consultation.  If you would like to receive our complimentary electronic newsletter, please click here.

As reported by Medical News Today, a recent Duke University report has found that diabetics are not receiving cutting edge treatment due to physician resistance to them.

The researchers found that empirical evidence supports several new treatments on the market such as, insulin pumps and blood glucose monitoring devices allow diabetics to better manage their disease and stick with prescribed treatment regimens. These treatments not only result in lesser pain than older treatments but also prevent or delay the complications to diabetes, including, hypertension, blindness, and end-stage renal disease, among other debilitating outcomes.

According to the Seattle Times, “the increasingly common practice of preventing strokes by using wire-mesh stents to prop open neck arteries is much riskier than the traditional method of surgically removing plaque and should be curtailed, according to two large European studies.”  The American studies, however, seem to suggest that stents are safer than surgery. 

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout the month, the campaign, which is composed of various public service groups, doctors’ associations, and government agencies, attempts to raise awareness of breast cancer and provide screening services.

On August 24, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced approval of Plan B, a contraceptive drug often called the “morning after pill”, as an over-the-counter (OTC) option for women aged 18 and older. Like other birth control pills, Plan B has been available to all women as a prescription drug. When used as directed, Plan B effectively and safely prevents pregnancy. It will remain available as a prescription-only product for women aged 17 and under. Plan B is manufactured by Duramed Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc., headquartered in Pomona, New York.

The FDA Release notes that the approval concludes an extensive process that included obtaining expert advice from a joint meeting of two FDA advisory committees.  The process also provided an opportunity for public comment on issues regarding the scientific and policy questions associated with the new status of Plan B as an OTC medication. Duramed's application raised novel issues regarding simultaneously marketing both prescription and non-prescription Plan B for emergency contraception, but for different populations, in a single package. With this in mind, the FDA has further noted that it remains committed to a careful and rigorous scientific process for resolving novel issues in order to fulfill its responsibility to protect the health of all Americans. 

For additional information about Plan B, please see WebMD.

• "Have credentials at an accredited facility to perform gastrointestinal and biliary surgery.
• Document that he or she is working within an integrated program for the care of the morbidly obese patient that provides ancillary services such as specialized nursing care, dietary instruction, counseling, support groups, exercise training, and psychological assistance as needed.
• Document that there is a program in place to prevent, monitor and manage short-term and long-term complications.
• Document that there is a system in place to provide and encourage follow-up for all patients. Follow-up visits should either be directly supervised by the Bariatric surgeon of record or other health care professionals who are appropriately trained in perioperative management of bariatric patients and part of an integrated program. While applicants can not guarantee patient compliance with follow-up recommendations, they should demonstrate evidence of adequate patient education regarding the importance of follow-up as well as adequate access to follow-up."

According to a recent issue of UVa Today, the online University of Virginia news service, there are now five possible cases of mumps among students on the University of Virginia campus.  All the students were vaccinated against the disease.

UVA is now focusing on its vaccination campaign, by contacting students not in compliance with both UVA and Virginia vaccination requirements. The university is also offering free vaccines to anyone who had close contact with the students.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of mumps include fatigue, fever, headache, and swollen glands, especially around the jaw.

• Chest discomfort.
  
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.
  
• Shortness of breath.
• Other signs, such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.

Stroke Warning Signs:    

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
  
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.   
  
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.   
  
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

• Sudden loss of responsiveness (no response to tapping on shoulders).
• No normal breathing (the victim does not take a normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds).
  

New Medicaid standards which require that patients show primary documentation of American citizenship before receiving benefits are under fire from hospitals and other healthcare providers.  The law took effect on July 1, 2006, and arguments for a temporary restraining order will be heard on July 7, 2006, in the U.S. District Court in Chicago.

In a joint letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, the American Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals and several other entities expressed their concern, “that states will be overly cautious in interpreting (government regulations) and err on the side of not enrolling eligible individuals.” The legislation providing the new standards is linked to state receipt of federal funding, so if a state violates the regulation, the federal government can withhold money. 

• their medical condition
• the consequences of remaining untreated
• the material risks of proposed treatment, and
  
• the recognized alternative treatments, if any

According to a recent article on WebMD, an online consumer health and information guide, women should remember to take care of their own health needs as well as all the other people who depend on them.

Following is a listing of the five recommended tests, as well as links to organizations that provide additional information about the tests:

(1) Heart and Blood Tests - American Heart Association
(2) Pap Test - Brigham & Women's Hospital
(3) Mammogram - BreastCancer.org
(4) Colonoscopy - American Family Physician
(5) Skin Exam - American Cancer Society

According to a Committee Opinion issued by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), first-trimester screening for genetic defects is a real option for pregnant women, but only if certain criteria are met. New technologies, such as measuring nuchal translucency (NT), have allowed for earlier, noninvasive screening for chromosomal abnormalities. When combined with screening blood work in the first trimester, these methods have detection rates that are comparable to current standard second-trimester screening.

There are many advantages offered by screening in the first-trimester. When test results are negative, maternal anxiety may be reduced at an earlier point in the pregnancy. If positive, it allows women to take advantage of first-trimester prenatal diagnosis by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) at 10-12 weeks or second-trimester amniocentesis (15 weeks), as well as allow women to prepare for a child with health problems.

After having a baby, many women experience mood swings - one moment they feel happy, and the next they start to cry. They may feel a little depressed, lose their appetite, have a hard time concentrating, or find that they are unable to sleep well, even when their baby does. These symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after delivery and may last several days. This mild form of depression is called the "baby blues," and it is considered a normal part of early motherhood. Some women, however, develop symptoms that are more severe and pronounced or that last a significant amount of time. This is called "postpartum depression."