Honolulu Personal Injury Lawyer

Epilepsy Drugs Topiramate and Valporate Raise Risk of Birth Defects Fourteen-Fold According to British Researchers

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:48:36 GMT

Topiramate (sold as Topamax© by Johnson & Johnson™) and Valporate© both have been known to cause birth defects. Studies have shown that Topomax causes birth defects in animals and Valporate©, one of the leading epilepsy drugs, has been shown to be associated with birth defects and fetal death in approximately 20% of the mothers who take it during pregnancy. If you are taking either of these drugs and are pregnant you should immediately question your doctor about these risks.

In a new British study, out of 203 pregnancies, 18 had spontaneous abortions, 2 had still births and induced abortions occurred in 5. Of the 178 babies born the following frightening statistics were found:

4 cleft lips or palates - 11 times the normal rate
4 male baies with genital defects - 14 times the normal rate

The small sampling size (203 women) is small and so these results should be reviewed with caution. Doctors in the research study cautioned that drawing hard conclusions is not warranted at this time.

Topamax is also a leading drug in the treatment of migraines, a condition sufferd by 30 million women. Migraines are not consider to cause a risk to the fetus like epilpsy. So women with epilepsy must consider the risks differently. Not taking Topamax may put the fetus of a mother with epilepsy at risk for injury from seizures, but for a mother with migraines discontinuing Topamax is an easier choice.

The current best practice according to the American Academy of Neurology is for pregnant women with epilepsy to take only one drug to control seizures during pregnancy, and to take the lowest effective dose.

Stopping treatment of epilepsy during pregnancy puts the baby at higher risk than any of the drugs because a seizure is associated with reduced oxygen to the bay, resulting in lower fetal heart rate and fetal distress. The placenta can also be injured during a seizure which can in turn result in a miscarriage.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Australia Reserachers Embark On Large Cerebral Palsy Study

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:55:23 GMT

In the largest study of its kind, scientists in Australia are attempting to identify genetic causes of cerebral palsy. A spokesperson states that this ".... study will investigate a key issue behind cerebral palsy: whether genetic factors make women more vulnerable to environmental risks that affect the brain of their unborn child."

Do environmental factors, such as premature birth that affects the child's brain, combine with genetic factors to increase the chances of developing cerebral palsy. 10,000 mothers will participate in the study.

The goal is to develop gene therapy treatments for babies predisposed genetically to develop cerebral palsy.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Acetaminophen Use Can Lead to Serious Liver Toxicity

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:38:18 GMT

The University of Washington along with 21 other medical centers warn about acetaminophen use and severe liver toxicity in the December issue of Hepatology. Dr. Anne M. Larsen M.D. warns that as little as 7.5 grams of acetaminophen per day can lead to severe liver toxicity.

Although the reaction is rare it is a serious threat since so many drugs are combinations of acetaminophen and other drugs. The article in Hepatology stresses education od pharacists, doctors and patients to prevent this harm.

Never take more than the package-recommended 4 g/day -- higher doses may cause severe hepatic necrosis leading to acute liver failure. N-acetylcysteine prevents injury to the liver if administered within 12 hours but many people are unaware that they could benefit from it.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

50 Million Prescription Errors Yearly

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:17:56 GMT

The Journal of Patient Safety reports in December 2007 that 49% Americans who take at least one prescription medication daily face the serious risk from 50 million prescription errors by pharmacies nationwide. The problem is serious because an error could be fatal.

The main cause of the problem is inattention by pharmacy employees, lack of knowledge about the products and not looking at the prescription hardcopy during the verification process.

Patients and their families should always read the label before taking presription medications. Also ask the pharmacist to explain any side effects. They are happy to do so and often know much more about the medication than the prescribing doctor. Patients must be proactive these days in light of these alarming statistics. Simple errors like prescribing a drug containing acetaminophen to a person with liver problems can be fatal.

Don't take medications until you are sure what they are and that the type and dosage is correct.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Honda HRX Lawnmowers in Defective Product Recall

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:11:39 GMT

Honda HRX lawnmowers have been recalled due to a defect in the rear plastic shield. Over 20,000 lawnmowers have this potential defect. The HRX Honda lawnmower is a model where the operator walks behind the lawnmower. The plastic shield is susceptible to break in which case debris that could cause injury can be thrown at the operator causing injury.

The Honda HRX lawnmowers were sold between October 2007 and June 2008 through lawn and garden shops and Home Depot.

A free repair is being offered by Honda. To arrange for such a repair call the shop where the lawnmower was purchased. For other defective product recalls visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Serious Risk Of Bleeding When Heparin Is Administered Shortly After Stroke

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:09:42 GMT

Heparin is an anticoagulation drug that is commonly used in various medical contexts such as dialysis and when blood clotting is a concern. But administering Heparin to victims of cardioembolic stroke - a stroke caused by a blood clot - may lead to bleeding and dire consequences. Warfarin sodium is often admistered to stroke patients but it takes several days to reach therapeutic levels. A recent study by Hen Hallevi, M.D., of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston shows that if Heparin is administered with Warfarin sodium after a cardioembolic stroke the problem with bleeding may be lessened.

The current standard of care for cardioembolic stroke does not allow anticoagulation therapy immediately after the event but patients eventually get anticoagulation therapy. Up until now there is no concensus on when that therapy should begin. Even with the combination of Warfarin and Heparin the risk of intracranial and systemic bleeding is high. warfarin on the other hand appears to be safe when started at any point in the hospital stay.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

What Causes Cerebral Palsy?

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:58:51 GMT

The first question is what are the factors that raise the risk of cerebral palsy (CP)?

1. Labor and delivery problems.

2. Premature baby.

2. Low birth weight - less that 5 lbs 7.5 oz.

3. Do not cry for 5 minutes after delivery.

4. Brain hemorrhage.

5. On a ventilator for more than 4 weeks.

6 Apgar scote of 0 to 3.

7. Breech birth.

8. Problems during pregnancy such as vaginal bleeding after the 6th month.

If you know a child who may be suufering from cerebral palsy check to see if any of these situations arose during delivery.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

How Do You If Your Child has Cerebral Palsy?

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:46:50 GMT

For such a serious developmental disability affecting children parents often have a difficult time knowing if their baby is suffering from cerebral palsy. Like with many conditions affecting babies, cerebral palsy requires close observation of the child. The afflicted child may only exhibit problems like cutting paper with scissors or writing or may have disturbing behavior like inability to balance or use their arms and/or legs. Here are the things to look for:

1. After 2 months see if the child has trouble holding the head upright when picked up, or when their legs cross (scissor) when picked up.

2. After 6 months the child may reach with only one hand while the other hand is in a fist or the child has a difficult time bringing the hands together.

3. After 10 months watch for the child crawling by pushing with one hand and one leg and dragging the other side or sitting alone a lot.

4. After 12 months the child may not be able to stand with support or crawl.

5. After 24 months the child can't walk or push a wheeled toy.

If you know a child with these problems or symptoms you should ask the child's doctor to examine the child. A developmental pediatrician or child neouroligist would also be able to diagnose cerebral palsy (CP). Great resources are plentiful on the internet to educate yourself about the causes and signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

You Doctor Says That You Should Be Well But You have Severe Unexplained Pain

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:42:14 GMT

You are in pain. The doctor who is treating you says that there is no reason for you to be hurting. The injury has healed. Tests and x-rays are all normal. But your body hurts. The area where you are feeling the pain - and it could be in more than one area -usually feels hot, burning and painful to even the touch of a piece of soft cotton or the brush of a hand. You may have inflammation in the form of skin color changes, rash, swelling on the skin, joint swelling or even bleeding of the skin. Coldness of the skin can be sue to spasms of the blood vessels of the skin can occur as can movement problems and sleep and emotional disturbance.

Perhaps you are suffering from Refelx Sympathetic Dystrophy or RSD. If you fall into this set of facts you must be checked by a specialist in RSD.

The bad news is that if you have RSD you are suffering severe amounts of pain. The good news is that there are pain management specialist who can help with medications, physical therapy and modern pain management techniques.

Commonly prescribed medications are: Amitriptyline, Avinza, Baclofen, Elavil, Hydrocodone, Hydromorophone, Metadone, Morphine, Neurontin (Gabapentin) Oxycontin (Oxycodone) Topomax, Tramadol and Ultram. This list contains powerful and controversial drugs which shows you that RSD is a very serious condition.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Tire Tread Separations Due To Defective Tires Cause Deadly SUV Rollovers

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:26:46 GMT

In Hawaii, Florida, California and just about everywhere people drive cars, the news reports deaths and serious injuries from tire failures due to tread separations and rollovers. For example a woman in Tampa lost her life in late June when her Lexus SUV rolled over while she was driving.

A common cause of SUV rollovers is a tread separation on one of the tires. The vehicle swerves in such a way when the treat separates that the natural instincts of the driver result in the driver turning the wheel and putting the car into a sideway slide that often results in a rollover.

The defective tire may be overlooked by the police because the damage to the vehicle is so severe. Tire manufacturers have been known to send in operatives to essentially steal the defective tires and destroy the evidence.

The Chicago Sun Times reported on a long investigation into this subect back in 2000 and identified problems with Cooper Tire & Rubber, Continental General Tire and Goodyear Tire & Rubber as well as Firestone. As a result of the Sun Times reporting Congress passed a comprehensive automobile safety law in late 2000.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons