Flu Season Arrived Early

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the flu season is officially under way about a month earlier than expected.

Towards the end of November, the percentage of visits to the doctor attributing to influenza-like illness (fever, sore throat, cough, or a combination) was 2.2 percent.  

This percentage matches the national baseline. Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama have reported high flu activity.

 This year marks the earliest flu season in almost a decade. The CDC is urging people to be vaccinated as soon as possible. It is also important to wash your hands, cover your mouth and stay home if you experience flu-like symptoms.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Patient Safety Innovation

According to Becker’s Hospital Review, hospitals are being called upon to innovate and create patient safety protocols. Here are six tips that hospitals can take to drive innovation: 

1.      Create a Robust Patient Safety Program: Hospitals need to first create a structured program to encourage patient safety innovation so people can test and share ideas.

2.      Develop a Culture of Safety: The encouragement of innovation depends on a strong culture of safety in the organization.

3.      Hold People Accountable: If employees are held accountable for their actions, it will motivate them to find ways of overcoming challenges to meet goals.

4.      Pilot Programs: Piloting new projects can provide an opportunity for leaders to innovate, test new ideas and refine practices that can then be shared system-wide.

5.      Partner with Researchers: Researchers can test new theories and provide data to support new practices. 

6.      Participate in Outside Patient Safety Programs: Participating in other patient safety programs can create innovation by enabling different organizations to share their successes and failures.

Click here to learn more about how these six tips have helped one hospital.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

 

Nurses Admitting Mistakes

Check out this article on a study that was done in Belgium:

Patient Safety Improves When Leaders Practice What They Preach

According to the research, a stronger commitment to safe practices and a reduction in the error rate takes place when nurses feel comfortable and safe admitting to their supervisors that they have made a mistake regarding a patient.  

It’s been said that United States hospitals kill at least 44,000 patients a year. Errors happen everywhere in the hospital; if nurses report the mistakes, it will ultimately lead to a reduced rate.

 

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Infant Travel Bed Recall

Taken from The Huffington Post

DETAILS: KidCo Inc.'s PeaPod and PeaPod Plus travel cribs. The infant travel beds have an air mattress that fits into a zippered pocket in the floor of the domed tent, which collapses for transport. They were sold at independent juvenile specialty stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com from January 2005 through the present.

WHY: If the mattress is placed in the floor of the tent, an infant's head could lodge between the mattress and tent's side, making breathing impossible.

INCIDENTS: One infant death and nine infants entrapped or distressed while inside the portable tents.

HOW MANY: 220,000.

Discontinued Meds May Still Get Dispensed

According to an article published in U.S. News Health, doctors sometimes fail to tell a pharmacist that their patient has been taken off a certain medication, and the prescription for the drug will continue to be refilled. 

A new study has found that “1.5 percent of all discontinued medications were refilled by the pharmacy and that 12 percent of those refilled medications caused some degree of potential harm to the patients.” 

This newly identified patient safety issue can cause many problems, such as allergic reactions, low blood pressure, lightheadedness or nausea.  

The problem arises when doctors assume that a patient will remember to stop taking a drug after they have been taken off it, or that discontinuing a medication in a patient’s electronic health record is automatically transmitted to the pharmacy.  

Future research needs to evaluate methods of improving communication between providers and pharmacies.

 

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Car Seat Recall

Due to a choking hazard, Britax has issued a voluntary recall of 60,000 convertible car seats.

The seats were manufactured between June and August of 2012 and include the Britax Boulevard 70-G3, Pavilion 70-G3, and Advocate 70-G3. Because small pieces can come loose if a child bites it, the chest pads are a risk. The manufacturer's date and model number can be found on the child's upper left hand side of the seat. The recalled models include:

E9LJ91A, E9LJ91M, E9LJ91S, E9LJ92E, E9LJ93P, E9LJ93S, E9LK91A, E9LK31A, E9LK31Q, E9LK32D, E9LK32Z, E9LK33Q, E9LL11A, E9LL11Q, E9LL12D, E9LL12Z, E9LG81A, E9LG83N, E9LG83P, E9LG83X, E9LG83Y, E9LL21A, E9LL23P, E9LL23Y

The company is offering free replacement chest pads which will be made of a firmer material that cannot tear off. Visit www.britaxconvertiblerecall.com.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Routine Physicians Don’t Save Lives

According to a new study, general health checkups are unlikely going to be beneficial.

The study, published in MedPage today, found that patients who had regular general health checkups died of cancer and cardiovascular disease at virtually the same rate as those who did not have checkups.

The studies did not reduce mortality, but some did show increased hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and certain chronic diseases.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Younger Docs Cost More

According to an article from MedPage, physicians with less experience had higher healthcare cost profiles compared to their experienced counterparts.

A study published in Health Affairs found that doctors with fewer than 10 years’ experience had cost profiles 13 percent higher than senior providers.

Some explanations for the higher spending for younger physicians include:

• New physicians may be more familiar with newer and more expensive forms of treatment.
• Less-experienced physicians are more likely to have shorter relationships with patients, thus getting more service.
• The lack of experience could translate into uncertainty and more aggressive care.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Patient Safety Goals

The Joint Commission has released its national patient safety goals for 2013. The purpose is to improve patient safety and to focus on the problems in health care safety and how they can be solved.

Identify Patients Correctly:

• When a patient is getting a blood transfusion, make sure they are getting the correct blood.
• Use at least two ways to identify the patient
• Example: Patient’s name and DOB 

Improve Staff Communication:

• Get important test results to the right staff member quickly and on time.   

Prevent Infection:

• Use proven guidelines to prevent infection after surgery, of the blood from central lines, of the urinary tract that are caused by catheters, and those that are difficult to treat.
• Set goals to improve hand cleaning; follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization on how to correctly wash hands.  

Identify Patient Safety Risks:

• Find out which patients are more likely to try to commit suicide. 

Use Medicines Safely:

• Correctly record and pass on correct information about a patient’s medicines; make sure patient understands what medicines to take and when.
• Before a procedure, make sure medicines that are not labeled are labeled correctly. 

   

Prevent Mistakes in Surgery:

• Make sure the correct place on the patient’s body is marked before surgery.
• Make sure the correct surgery is going to be performed on the correct patient at the correct place.
• To make sure a mistake is not going to be made, pause right before the surgery to double check.

Banana Boat Sunscreen Recall

After there have been reports of people catching on fire after applying UltraMist units, the makers of Banana Boat have decided to recall 500 thousand bottles.

Energizer Holdings is pulling 23 varieties of the sunscreen off of store shelves. A handful of people have applied the spray-on sunscreen and come into contact with an open flame, causing the lotion to ignite.

The problem is caused by the spray valve, which over applies the lotion. It takes longer to dry, which raises the risk of catching on fire.

Consumers who have purchased the items are urged to not use them. More information can be given by calling the manufacturer at 1-800-SAFESUN.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

WHO Surgical Safety Checklist Study

According to a new study, the use of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Surgical Safety Checklist considerably lowers the risks relating to surgery.

The checklist, which was introduced in 2007, has a goal of improving communication between health care workers before the induction of anesthesia, during surgery and after the procedure.

Poor communication is the most common error in an operating room between doctors and nurses, but since the development of the checklist, the mortality rate has decreased by 47 percent.

The patient's identity, the names and functions of all team members, and the correct designations of all surgical instruments used in the procedure must be checked before it is begun.

The study has concluded that improved communication between workers equals better teamwork and safety.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Surgical Sponge Detection

There is now a device called the RF Assure Detection System that is able to detect whether or not there is a surgical sponge left in a patient's body after surgery.
"The RF Assure™ Detection System brings innovation, simplicity, confidence and compliance to hospitals by providing an easy to use, accurate system for detecting and preventing retained surgical sponges."

Eddie Bauer Bassinets

Approximately 97,000 Eddie Bauer Rocking Wood Bassinets made by Dorel Juvenile Group have been recalled because of suffocation hazards.

If a spring is not installed, the bottom locking mechanism can fail to lock, allowing the bassinet to tip to one side and cause infants to roll to one side of the bassinet. This can create a risk of infants suffocating.

The bassinets were sold from December 2007 through January 2011.

The model numbers that are being recalled are: 10632, 10639, 10832, 10835, 10839 and BT021. The model numbers can be found on the wash and care label, under the mattress or on the top surface of the mattress support board.

There have already been 17 reports of incidents involving infants three months or younger.

For more information, call Dorel Juvenile Group at (877) 416-0165 or visit www.djgusa.com and click on Safety Notices for more information.

Snyder & Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Bicycle Recall

Approximately 12,000 bicycles are being recalled from Specialized Bicycle Components Inc. because a part can possibly break off, leading riders to fall off and get hurt.  

The company stated that the front fork on the bicycles can break, which has already led to four reports of this happening, resulting in head and shoulder injuries, facial fractures and cuts.

The bicycles that are being recalled were sold from July 2007 through July 2012.  

The models being recalled include: Globe Elite, Globe Sport, Globe Sport Disc, Globe Centrum Comp, Globe Centrum Elite, Globe City 6, Globe Vienna 3, Globe Vienna 3 Disc, Globe Vienna 4, Globe Vienna Deluxe 3, Globe Vienna Deluxe 4, Globe Vienna Deluxe 5 and Globe Vienna Deluxe 6 bicycles.  

Consumers are urged to stop using the bicycles immediately and to bring them to an authorized retailer. A free installation of the replacement front fork can be given. For more information, visit www.specialized.com or call 877-808-8154.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Stroke

In the United States, strokes are becoming more common, with three percent of the population having experienced one. 

There are two types of stroke: hemorrhagic and ischemic. A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a weakened blood vessel ruptures while an ischemic stroke occurs as a result of a blockage in a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain.  

A lot of people don’t know the truth about strokes. Here are some facts that stem from common misconceptions:  

Myth: Strokes are rare.

Fact: Strokes are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. They are actually quite common, and more than six million Americans have had one, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   

Myth: Strokes aren’t preventable.

Fact: The International Stroke Study discovered that 90 percent of strokes can be attributed to vascular risk factors. These factors include obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, which are things that can be prevented.  

Myth: Strokes only happen to elderly people.

Fact: There are an increasing number of strokes happening to people between the ages of 18 and 65, which is linked to the high blood pressure and obesity that is growing in that age group. However, a person’s risk for stroke does increase with age.  

Myth: Strokes aren’t hereditary. Fact: The vascular risk factors for stroke have a genetic component, so they can run in families.

Myth: Smoking doesn’t affect your chances of having a stroke.

Fact: For both first-time and recurrent strokes, smoking is one of the biggest risk factors.

Myth: A stroke takes place in the heart.

Fact: If blood supply to the brain is cut off from a blood clot or a disease of the blood vessels, than a stroke takes place. Therefore, strokes take place in the brain.

Myth: Strokes can’t be treated.

Fact: If strokes are caused by a clot, then they can be treated. If a person gets treated within four and a half hours of the onset of stroke symptoms, then a medication can be administered which can prevent or possibly reverse damage. 

Myth: Stroke recovery only happens in the first few months after a stroke.

Fact: Recovery can last up to two years. Most of the healing does take place in the first few months, however.  

Myth: The most common sign of stroke is pain.

Fact: The most common symptoms of stroke include double vision, confusion, numbness or weakness on one side, lack of coordination and trouble understanding what someone is saying. If you or someone is showing these symptoms, call 911 immediately.  

Myth: If stroke symptoms pass, you don’t need treatment.

Fact: A transient ischemic attack is when a blood vessel that was blocked opens before it can cause permanent damage. Someone who experiences this has a risk of having a stroke within the week, however.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Source: Everyday Health

Medical Errors

Medical errors go largely unnoticed, and they can kill enough people to fill four jumbo jets a week, or 98,000 people a year. 

According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal that was written by a surgeon, the same preventable mistakes are made over and over again, and the medical community hardly ever learns from them.  

One problem is that many health care officials overlook the mistakes their colleagues make. Also, between 20 and 30 percent of all tests, procedures and medications are unnecessary, and as often as 40 times a week the wrong body part is operated on by surgeons. Medical errors would be the country’s sixth leading cause of death if they were considered a disease.  

According to the author, medical mistakes can be decreased with five reforms, which are: 

·         Online Dashboards

·         Safety Culture Scores

·         Cameras

·         Open Notes

·         No More Gagging 

For change to start taking place, hospitals should have an informational “dashboard” available online. It should include rates for surgical complications, errors, infection and readmissions. Patient satisfaction scores from surveys should also be included, as well as the hospital’s annual volume for the type of surgeries it performs.  

Safety culture scores are another way to help with medical errors. If a hospital finds out what their employees think of their teamwork, the results can affect certain outcomes. If the teamwork is bad, infection rates and patient outcomes can be negatively affected. Safe care comes from good teamwork.

If cameras were used more often in the health care industry, fewer mistakes would happen. Not only could videos of procedures help future doctors see how it should correctly be done, it can also be used as peer-based quality improvement for certain procedures. It has been researched that doctors perform better when they know that someone will be checking their work, according to the article. 

If patients were able to review the notes their doctor has written about them and their symptoms, they would have a chance to correct mistakes or add something they forgot. At Harvard and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, open notes are being used by doctors, and both patients and doctors find it very helpful. 

Increasingly, patients are being asked to sign gag orders when they check in to see doctors. These gag orders state that the patient must promise to not say anything negative about their physician, whether it’s online or somewhere else.

Medical mistakes should be talked about, not forgotten about. With more transparency in the medical field, along with accountability, medical mistakes can be decreased, thus making health care more safe.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Arbitration Agreements

An arbitration agreement is easy to overlook. Tucked inside the packages of admissions documents in nursing homes, anxious seniors or their caregivers may sign everything that is in front of them while only giving it a slight glance.  

Signing one means that in the event of a problem that is not amicably solved, you will agree to bring the dispute before a professional arbitrator rather than file a lawsuit for something like wrongful death, according to an article published in The Washington Post. 

Consumer advocates express their concern for these agreements and believe that it is not in a family’s best interest to sign one.  

Arbitration hearings are not like court proceedings; they are instead conducted in private and the materials are usually protected by confidentiality rules. 

Also, if there is any amount awarded, it may be less if an arbitrator hears the case compared to a case going to trial.  

According to the article, the American Health Care Association doesn’t support requiring people to sign the agreements as a condition of admissions. There is a simple way to avoid being forced into arbitration, however: Just don’t sign it.  

If you find that you have signed the agreement, you are typically allowed to change your mind with a 30-day “opt-out” provision if you wish you hadn’t.  

If you want your rights to sue in the case of a wrongful death or negligence, for example, do not sign the arbitrary agreement. 

Snyder & Wenner, PC

602-224-0005  

Hand Hygiene Tied to Staffing Levels

According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, inadequate staffing levels in nursing homes is increasing the number of hand hygiene deficiencies. 

Researchers analyzed nursing home survey data that was collected from 2000 to 2009. Between 2000 and 2002, inspectors issued hand hygiene deficiencies in fewer than 7.4 percent of facilities. However, that number increased to 12 percent by 2009. 

Nursing homes with fewer LPNs, RNs and aides had significantly more deficiencies than facilities with more staff on hand.  

Also, nursing homes in states with lower Medicaid reimbursement rates are more likely to have hand-washing lapses, according to the journal.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

 

Baby Bather Recall

According to an article from Huffington Post, Summer Infant is recalling over two million of their Deluxe/Mother’s Touch Baby Bathers. The recall is due to fall and head injury hazards.  

When carrying a baby in it, there is the risk that a baby may fall and develop severe head injuries. The bathers have a faulty side hinge that can cause the wire frame to collapse. 

The products were sold both in-store and online in the United States and Canada. 

So far, there have been seven injuries reported. Of those injuries, four had skull fractures with one requiring intensive care for brain bleeding.  

The bathers being recalled were sold between September 2004 and November 2011 with model numbers:

08020, 08050, 08054, 08070, 08401, 08409, 08404, 08405, 08650, 08655, 08659, 08754, 08940, 08944

18004, 18040, 18049, 18050, 18120, 18125, 18129, 18254, 18360, 18375, 18379, 18390, 18394, 18440, 18445, 18449, 18470, 18475, 18479

38510, 38515, 38750, 38755

The company is offering free repair kits to fix the hinge.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Bumbo Recall

Approximately four million Bumbo Baby Seats have been recalled after more than 84 incidents have occurred in which babies fell, according to an article by USA Today.  

These seats are used to prop babies up before they’re old enough to sit up on their own.  

Most of the incidents have occurred while the seats were on raised surfaces, such as a counter or table. Since the recall, Bumbo International stated that they will provide owners of the seats with a free repair kit to add a strap to secure babies in the seats.  

The Bumbo seats were sold both online and in stores from August 2003 to August 2012.  

To order the free repair kit, call (866) 898-4999 or visit www.recall.bumbousa.com.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.
602-224-0005

Advancements in Medical Technology

As Technology Advances, Patients Believe Medical Errors Will Decrease 

According to an article published in Healthcare Informatics, Americans are becoming more confident in healthcare technology that helps reduce medical mistakes. The survey by Wolters Kluwer Health stated that out of one thousand U.S. consumers aged 18 and older, 68 percent believe that as technology advances in the medical field, medical errors should decrease.  

About a third of those that participated in the study said that medical mistakes have been experienced either by them or by someone they know. These mistakes include getting the wrong treatment, medication or dosage.  

Studies have shown that hospitals have reduced mortality rates, shorter lengths of stays and overall improvements in the quality of care when they adopt certain clinical decision support systems, according to the article.  

More than one-third of Americans believe that poor communication among hospital workers is the top reason why medical errors take place. Other reasons as to why medical mistakes happen are because of staff feeling fatigued, staffing shortages and doctors and nurses being in a hurry.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

When Anemia Drugs Make Billions, Who Gets Affected?

Common anemia drugs known as Procrit, Aranesp and Epogen are among the best-selling prescription drugs in the country.  

But according to an article in the Washington Post, the rise in the drug’s profit can potentially be dangerous to those who receive them.  

Two companies, Amgen and Johnson & Johnson, generate more than $8 billion a year, but at what cost? 

Information on the benefits of the drug, which included “life satisfaction and happiness” are listed on the FDA-approved label. However, research has concluded that those statements have been overstated. Also, potentially lethal side effects such as cancer and strokes have been overlooked.  

Anemia is caused when the body produces too few red blood cells. Having too few of those cells can make carrying oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body a dangerous problem. These drugs were made to help stimulate the body to produce more of the red blood cells.  

According to the article, the drugs elevate a statistic for red blood cell counts. However, there is no evidence that they improve a patient’s survival or make them feel better. 

It was discovered instead that health care officials who gave patients bigger doses made more money.  

Drugs administered by physicians can yield a very high profit if there is a “spread,” which is the difference between the price they pay for the drug and the price they ultimately charge patients.  

The drug makers give physicians an incentive or motivation for giving larger doses. Practices that dispense the drug in large volumes were offered discounts and the companies making the drug overfilled vials, allowing doctors a chance to increase profit margins.  

Even though the drug levels that patients were receiving were considered dangerous, physicians continued to give large doses. While they told patients that the drug would be beneficial, they could easily make $100,000 to $300,000 a year from the incentives.  

As ads continued to state how patients could feel a lot better by taking the drug, the FDA raised safety concerns. With this, the drugmakers agreed to conduct some studies to promote the facts.  

The Normal Hematocrit Trial drew in more than 1,200 patients who were on dialysis. Half of the patients received enough Epogen to boost their hematocrit up to about 42 percent while the other half received only enough to get their levels up to 30 percent.  

The trial had to come to an end three years later when the “normal” higher-dose group were dying or having heart attacks at a high rate than those in the lower-dose group.  

This became evidence that showed the drugs could potentially be deadly. The results from this study were published in a medicine journal in 1998 and were glossed over.  

It was stated by federal statistics that in 2007, more than 80 percent of dialysis patients on Medicare were receiving the drug at levels that the FDA considers very unsafe. 

Since then, the FDA has cracked down on the drugs; the maximum recommended doses have been lowered and it was ruled out as an option for patients considered just slightly anemic.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

More Treatment, More Mistakes

According to a report from 1999, medical mistakes were the reason why 98,000 Americans were dying every year.  

However, a reasonable estimate is now currently around 200,000 Americans, according to an article from the New York Times.  

In a recent anonymous survey, orthopedic surgeons have stated that 24 percent of tests they have ordered were actually not necessary. This is called defensive medicine, which is used in hopes of avoiding mistakes. However, each additional test or procedure can make room for more error.  

More is not always better.  

M.R.I. and CT scans can lead to false positives and ultimately unnecessary operations. As more medications are prescribed, the chance of a patient having an allergic reaction or an accidental overdose increases. 

It has been shown that since 1996, the percentage of doctor visits leading to at least five drugs’ being prescribed to patients have almost tripled, while the number of M.R.I. scans being ordered have quadrupled, according to the article.  

Many people have come up with ways to be safer in the hospitals and doctors’ offices. Checklists have been developed to bring hospital-acquired infections down to a close zero. There are also rules in place now that stop nurses from being disturbed while they dispense medications.  

Hospitals are expected to uphold the highest standards when it comes to taking care of patients. Maybe when doctors are asked by their colleagues to justify the tests and procedures they ordered, they will be reminded that doing more may not be the best idea.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Distracted Walking

Increased Injuries From “Distracted Walking” 

According to an article published in Bangor Daily News, safety experts and government officials are saying that distracted walking is becoming a growing problem.  

Though it is not as widely discussed as distracted driving, the danger is present. In city streets and shopping centers there are people walking around, most likely texting with their head down, talking on the phone, playing a video game or even listening to music.  

Reports from hospital emergency rooms have stated that there has been a spike in pedestrians injured and killed in traffic accidents. The reports of injuries relating to distracted walkers treated have more than quadrupled in the past seven years, according to the article.  

The Consumer Product Safety Commission also reported that approximately 1,152 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms in the United States last year due to receiving injuries from walking and using an electronic device. However, this report is considered an underestimate, as many patients will not mention they were using an electronic device at the time of the accident.  

Injury cases include a 28-year-old man who was walking along a road when he fell into a ditch while talking on a cell phone, a 53-year-old woman who fell off a curb while texting and lacerated her face, and a 12-year-old boy who was clipped by a truck as he crossed the street.

Some states, such as Delaware and Philadelphia, are drafting public education and safety campaigns to help pedestrians stay alert. 

A study from the University of Maryland has found that within the last six years, there were 116 cases in which pedestrians were killed or seriously injured while wearing headphones. According to the article, half of the cases involved trains and in a third of those incidents, a warning horn was sounded before the accident happened. 

Pedestrian fatalities have increased by 4.2 percent and injuries by 19 percent, according to the article.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Hundreds of Thousands of Strollers Recalled

Because of entrapment and strangulation risks, Peg Perego has recalled hundreds of thousands of strollers. 

According to an article from the Associated Press, children younger than a year old are more at risk at being injured from the strollers when they are not harnessed in. Children can pass through the opening between the tray and the seat bottom and the child’s neck and head can become trapped if they are unharnessed.

The company reported that a seven-month-old girl was nearly strangled in 2006 and a six-month-old boy died of strangulation in a stroller in 2004.

Peg Perego USA Inc. is recalling about 223,000 strollers made between January 2004 and September 2007. The models include Pliko-P3 and Venezia strollers.

For a list of the model numbers being recalled, click here.

The model number on the Venezia model is located on the footboard while the number for the Pliko-P3 stroller is located on a white label on the back.

Those who have purchased the strollers are advised to stop using them and contact Peg Perego for a free repair kit at (888) 734-6020.

Also, Kolcraft Enterprises Inc. is recalling some strollers due to the risk of potential choking and falling hazards.

The Contours Options LT double strollers with a model number of ZT012 are being recalled. The 5,600 strollers were sold between February and July.

Although no injuries have yet to be reported, it has been shown that the front wheel assembly can break, which can lead to a child falling out of the stroller. On the strollers that were made between January and February, the nuts that hold the stroller’s basket support screws in place can detach and become a potential choking hazard.

The model number can be found on a label on the stroller’s rear leg. Consumers should stop using the strollers and contact Kolcraft for free replacement wheels at (800) 453-7673.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Melanoma Risk Increases With Tanning Bed Use

More evidence has come to light that shows how melanoma is caused by using indoor tanning beds.

According to recent research, there is a 20 percent increase in the risk of melanoma among those who use tanning beds.  

An article published in MedPage Today state that the risk doubles when sunbed use starts before the age of 35. High usage of tanning beds increases the risk of developing melanoma by 42 percent. 

Ultraviolet tanning units are 10 to 15 times stronger than midday sunlight on the Mediterranean Sea. 

Certain studies relating to yearly tanning bed sessions demonstrate a 1.8 percent increase in the risk of getting melanoma with each visit.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C

602-224-0005

Keep Medications Cool

During the hot summer months, physicians not only warn their patients to stay cool, but also stress the importance of preventing their medications from overheating.

As temperatures go higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit, it can make many medications useless, as it can affect the bioavailability of the active ingredients in the drugs.

According to MedPage Today, many physicians are seeing an increase in the number of patient visits relating to mental illnesses where mood swings and anxiety are reported. These problems could be from improper storage of medications.

According to the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a medication standards agency, drugs should be stored at room temperature (68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit), unless noted otherwise. The agency states that if drugs are stored below or above that, they may not work the way they are supposed to.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Recall for Vecuronium Bromide for Injection

After findings of particulate matter in a small number of vials, Bedford Laboratories has issued a recall for Vecuronium Bromide For Injection.

The recall is for the 20 mg vial with an expiration date of May 31, 2013 and a lot number of 2067134.

The particulate matter is a potential health hazard to those receiving the injections. The reactions can cause vein irritation and phlebitis, severe pulmonary dysfunction, clinically occult pulmonary granulomas detected at routine autopsy examination, occlusion of capillaries and arteries, local tissue infarction and even anaphylactic shock and death.

This medication is used as an adjunct to general anesthesia, to assist breathing and also to produce muscle relaxation during surgery.

For the lot being recalled there has not yet been any reports of adverse events, and healthcare practitioners who have received the vials have been instructed not to use the product and quarantine it so it can be returned.

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

602-224-0005

Painkiller Abuse Continues to Increase

According to a new report, the use of prescription painkillers has increased dramatically particularly among men between the ages of 18 and 49.  

Among individuals taking prescription painkillers for nonmedical purposes on more than 200 days in the year, there was a 74 percent increase in the number of people taking them between 2002 and 2010. The use of these painkillers has increased by 105 percent just by the use of men. 



There were over 15,000 fatalities in 2009 due to overdosing on drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone according to an article from MedPage Today.  

As more adults are taking prescribed painkillers for nonmedical purposes, the study did reveal that those between the ages of 12 and 17 have shown a decrease in usage.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

2200 E. Camelback Road

Suite 213

Phoenix, AZ 85016

602-224-0005 

Pill Bottle Warnings

Pill Bottle Warnings Often Go Unnoticed

Sometimes, especially among the elderly, the colorful warning labels on the sides of pill bottles and vials go unnoticed. 

According to MedPage Today, a study has found that the colorful labels oftentimes do not capture the attention of those taking the medications.  

Groups of both young and old participants were tested to see whether or not the labels were read, and it was discovered that only 54 percent of the older group looked at the warnings. About 92 percent of the younger participants looked at the labels.  

The ages of the group ranged from 20 to 29 and 51 to 77.

The findings help explain why older patients are at greater risks for adverse drug events and how they can easily forget the bottle’s contents.  

The participants were tested on their ability to notice specific information on the vials and how long they were able to remember it. Eye-tracking technology was used to see which parts of the vials they were examining most.  

Researchers from the study are now saying that labels need to be designed that will help attract attention. After that’s accomplished, wording and content will also need to be changed.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

2200 E. Camelback Road
Suite 213
Phoenix, AZ 85016
602-224-0005

CT Scans May Increase Cancer Risk in Children

A new study has found that the chance of getting brain cancer or leukemia increases when computed tomography (CT) scans are done on children. 

According to an article from The New York Times, researchers say that CT scans should only be done when absolutely necessary and with the lowest possible dose of radiation, such as when diagnosing severe head injuries.  

CT Scan Machine
Photo from pengrin™, Flickr

The new study was published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, and found that when nearly 180,000 children had CT scans, 74 cases of leukemia and 135 cases of brain cancer appeared.  

It was also found that the more scans that were performed, the higher the risk of getting either disease increased.  

Children who had five to 10 CT scans tripled the risk of getting leukemia, while children under the age of 15 who had two or three scans of the head tripled the risk of brain cancer.

CT scans take X-rays from various angles to create cross-sectional images. These scans involve a lot of radiation, and researchers say that a third of the scans performed on children are considered unnecessary and can be replaced by a safer test like ultrasounds.  

When it comes to potential life-threatening conditions, such as pneumonia complications, spine injuries and chest infections, parents are urged to not refuse CT scans.  

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

2200 E. Camelback Road

Suite 213

Phoenix, AZ 85016

602-224-0005

Drug Seen to Prolong Life and Delay Worsening of Breast Cancer

In a recent study, it was found that a drug that delivers a powerful poison to tumors can delay the worsening of breast cancer. The drug also has fewer side effects and was seen to prolong lives.

The drug is known as T-DM1, and if approved, could hit the market as early as next year, according to an article by The New York Times.

The new drug represents an advance in treating breast cancer, and the success in the clinical trials show that it’s possible to deliver the drug to cancerous cells while at the same time saving healthy ones.  

T-DM1 and other similar drugs being tested consist of antibodies, which are powerful toxins linked to proteins. The antibodies from the drugs grab on to cancer cells and directly deliver the toxins to it.  

Side effects of the drugs are reduced as the toxins are not active until it reaches the tumor.  

In the trials, it was seen that T-DM1 delayed the worsening of breast cancer by about three months. Also, approximately 85 percent of patients receiving the new drug were still alive after one year, compared to the control group which had a percentage of 77. 

Snyder and Wenner, P.C.

2200 E. Camelback Road

Suite 213

Phoenix, AZ 85016

602-224-0005