Radiation Therapy Treatment for Cancer Patients at All-Time High
For many years, radiation therapy has been considered one of the standard treatments given for cancer patients with more than half of all cancer patients receiving some type of radiation therapy. And while radiation does help save many lives, it also presents serious risks for patients and may cause life-threatening injuries or result in potential Illinois medical malpractice.
Therefore, when radiation is used, safety rules must be strictly adhered to because sometimes even the most powerful and technicologically complex machines go awry. And while new technology allows doctors to more accurately attack tumors and reduce certain mistakes, its complexity has created new possibiliities for error through software flaws, faulty programming, poor safety procedures or inadequate staffing and training. When those errors and medical negligence do occur they can be devastating.
Hospitals and doctors trust computer systems and software to apply radiation in many cancer victims. However, there is no single agency that oversees medical radiation and no central clearing house of cases. Furthermore, radiation accidents are chronically underreported, and some states, including Illinois, radiation accidents are not required to be reported at all.
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Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by thinning bones as people age. More fragile bones means that even low-trauma, seemingly minor falls can be debilitating and costly for those who suffer from osteoporosis. An estimated $17 billion is spent nationwide for treatment of fractures connected to fractures to those afflicted with osteoporosis. 
This particular surgery is unique in that it was an 
The Midwest study was conducted by researchers at the 
A 
The new heart valves have been available in Europe for 18 months and have thus far yielded positive results. Medical trials of the valves are being conducted in the U.S. amongst older, critically ill patients who are not candidates for open heart surgery. Medical experts predict that if the devices live up to their makers’ claims they could revolutionize heart valve replacement, a common heart operation, and extend the lives of thousands of frail patients who are not now considered candidates for the open heart surgery. 
A recent diet analysis involving various types of arthritis examined data from more than 800 patients taken from 15 studies. The analysis focused on several diets that were popular among arthritis patients. 
The first of these films, "
While memory and concentration problems are common among chemotherapy patients, for most these effects are short-term and their cognitive function returns to normal. However, for about 15 percent of these patients the memory impairment is prolonged. It is these patients who are suffering from chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, or "chemo brain". 
Recent research suggests that worldwide perhaps as many as one woman dies every minute from complications of pregnancy or childbirth, which is about 20 times greater than the number who have suffered childbirth injuries. As a firm we have taken on several 
According to the 
EFM has been used in the labor and delivery setting since the early 1970s. Essentially the EFM monitors the fetal heart rate and reproduces the fetal heart tracings on both a screen and paper to enable the medical staff to determine when a baby is distressed. The readings are ultimately used to determine if the baby needs to be delivered surgically by Cesarean section or can be delivered vaginally. 
After the new law goes into effect on July 1, 2009, state citizens can learn which doctors have been paid by manufacturers of brand-named drugs that they have been prescribing their patients, or how much money surgeons have received from the makers of stents, pacemakers, artificial knees, and other implant devices. The law is designed to provide a window into the considerable efforts and spending by device and drug makers to influence doctors.
Recently a lawsuit was filed against 
The findings to be published in the 
The Chicago public health community has been sounding the alarm for years about the overuse of antibiotics and the emergence of 
Early diagnosis is key in fighting all types of cancer, including cervical cancer. In fact, the most common pitfall doctors fall into regarding patients with cancer is 
The FDA approval comes a little more than 10 years after the first human embryonic stem cells were isolated at the University of Wisconsin. Because these cells can turn into any type of cell in the body, the theory is they may one day be able to provide tissues to replace worn-out organs or non-functioning cells to treat diabetes, heart attacks and other diseases. The field is known as regenerative medicine. 
The new study showed that spikes in blood sugar affect the dentate gyrus, which is the area of the brain that helps form memories. Researchers found that effects can be seen even when levels of blood sugar or glucose are only moderately elevated. This study could be provide a reason for declining cognitive abilities because glucose regulation worsens with advanced aging. 
Perhaps even more alarming is that at least half of these dangerous interactions involve the use of over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin or dietary supplements. According to the study, one in 25 older adults are at risk for serious drug interactions, the study has found. And for men ages 75 and 85, the risk is as high as 1 and 10. 
Experts blame this trend on the lower rates of screening among blacks as compared to whites, and less access to quality healthcare. Physicians have encouraged colon screening as a way to early diagnose any colon problems, including colon cancer. Currently the screening rate for whites is 50 percent compared to 40 percent for blacks. 
The University of Chicago Hospital has adopted the practice and developed a 
For example, if you come in complaining of constant knee pain then your physician may order an MRI scan. Let's say that the MRI scan shows torn cartilage and your physician tells you that surgery is the only way to relieve your pain and fix the problem. So you undergo surgery and then physical therapy, but still are experiencing the same pain. Eventually you find out that the torn cartilage was not responsible for your pain- your newly diagnosed arthritis was. 
Each year more than 28,000 infants under one year-old die in the United States. Two-thirds of these infant deaths are preterm babies. In 2006, 6.71 infants died in the United States for every 1,000 live births. In 2006, Illinois was well above the national average with 7.2 infants deaths for every 1,000 births. Illinois's death rate seems even more startling when compared with that of other countries. In 2004, twenty-two countries had infant mortality rates below 5.0 infant deaths for 1,000 live births, and many Scandinavian and Asian countries posting rates below 3.5. 
Health care providers have teamed up with credit card companies to create a 'medical credit card', which is essentially a credit card that can only be used on medical purchases. You can fill out an application in your doctor's office and get approved while sitting in the waiting room. From a doctor's perspective this is ideal because they receive instant payment for their services. But oftentimes the patient is the one who loses. 
Chicago and Illinois hospitals have initiated programs advocating that medical providers wash their hands frequently to prevent spreading infection to their patients. And while this is a proven measure to stem the spread of diseases, physicians' clothes and scrubs can still carry infection from patient to patient. Not to mention that when medical providers continue to wear their hospital clothes outside of the hospital, whether their scrubs or own clothes, then they can carry and spread infections to other areas. 
Perhaps the most well-known of these is methicillin-resistant Staphylococus aureus (MRSA), a type of "staph" infection that is resistant to the broad spectrum antibiotics typically used to treat it. However, unlike many of the other superbugs coming to light, MRSA can be treated with alternate antibiotics. But the fear is that in time MRSA will also become resistant to these alternative antibiotics. 
The new study was done by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Columbia University and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In it they tried to duplicate prior findings that showed the MMR vaccine caused autism, but were unable to do so. As has happened with many other medical studies, this recent one found no evidence that the MMR vaccine caused harm or was in any way linked to autism.
But now immunologists are coming forward with new studies reporting that the vaccine doesn't work very well for those over 70. Yet the over 70 age bracket accounts for 75% of all the flu deaths. 
The legal advice comes from top doctors and editors of the New England Journal of Medicine who have submitted a friend-of-the-court brief. The doctors state that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “is in no position” to guarantee drug safety. The doctors went on to to say that lawsuits can serve as “a vital deterrent” and protect consumers if drug companies don’t disclose risks. 
But what can we do to force our doctor to focus on us? To assert our visit is important and demands his or her full attention and expertise? Do we need to lobby for different rules governing the system? Do we need to pay by the minute so that a physician will review our case until we are satisfied? 
