The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new study showing death rates of children in car crashes fell by 43 percent from 2002 to 2011.  Even more death could be prevented with use of adequate safety measures.  The study showed that one of three children who died in a car crash…

Pradaxa is a medication used to prevent stroke and blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation.  It has been widely prescribed since it’s release in 2010.  Unfortunately, studies in the New England Journal of Medicine have warned that the lack of an effective treatment for severe bleeding caused by Pradaxa may put patients at risk. …

Over the past several years, there has been an increase in lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson for various products including NuvaRing, vaginal mesh, and even a broad recall of children’s medicines.  Although each lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson has its own individual facts and considerations, what has become clear is that Johnson & Johnson has…

You have a right to a safe workplace.  In 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was passed to prevent workers from being killed or seriously harmed at work.  The Act created a government agency to set and enforce protective workplace safety and health standards, provide information, training and assistance to workers and employers. …

Front air bags have been required in all passenger cars since 1998.  Since that time, automakers have capitalized on the safety of adding side-impact air bags as a selling point.  Are side impact air bags really necessary?  Side impact air bags offer protection from fast-moving chunks on metal and glass which can fly freely in…

Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults or about 6.7 percent of the United States population, age 18 and older (Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 June; 62(6): 617-27).  It’s not surprising that pharmaceutical antidepressants have become such a big business.  Unfortunately, all synthetic medications come with side effects.  Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro and Zoloft…

As our parents begin to age, we are reminded of our responsibility to protect them.  Elderly persons are at risk for bullying, being taken advantage of financially through scams, falls, and even neglect by those to whom we entrust their care.  We see them become more physically frail, sometimes even suffering dementia or other mental…

In today’s world of health care, there are so many things that can go wrong. Unfortunately, we hear so much more about legal recourse than how to prevent medical errors. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Although physicians owe us a duty of reasonable care in their treatment, as patients, taking…

In 2001, the FDA approved a new birth control device, NuvaRing.  By 2007, complications started to arise from the use of NuvaRing when a 32-year old woman died from complications associated with deep vein thrombosis.  She died from a pulmonary thromboemboli.  Other complications arising from the use of NuvaRing include severe blood clotting, which can…

On December 20, 2013, the Nebraska Department of Roads released its monthly report for November 2013 regarding traffic fatalities.  During the month of November, twelve persons were killed in traffic crashes on Nebraska’s roadways in a total of ten crashes.  Seven of the eleven vehicle occupants were not using safety belts, with five of the…