Many injuries can occur during a car wreck. One such misfortune is a fracture, which seems like a relatively mild injury but can turn into a very serious one in some cases. Some people who have a broken bone might develop an infection in the area. Unfortunately, these infections can lead to life-threatening complications. Anyone who has a fracture after a car wreck should pay close attention to how they are faring. This is especially true if you have any risk factors for an infection. These include things like having rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes or an immune deficiency. Needing surgery to...
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Stay safe while driving this winter
With the winter months quickly approaching in Mansfield and Sandusky, OH, now is the time for all drivers to prepare for the snow and ice on its way. By starting the preparations now, you won't have to try to rush through them. Getting ready for winter travel starts with making sure you have the proper supplies and that your vehicle is in good shape. Now is the time to check the tire pressure and tread, brakes, wipers, and fluids. Add in windshield washer fluid that won't freeze in cold temperatures so that you can use it throughout the season. Pack your cold weather kit You should have a...
Changes with brain injuries are hard to accept
The trauma that a brain injury brings can be hard to live with. When your loved one is trying to navigate life after a moderate to severe injury, you might find that the uncertainties are almost as hard to deal with as the major changes. Your loved one might experience a variety of feelings that have to be sorted through at a time when they are learning about their new possibilities and limitations because of the brain injury. One thing that can help people who are going through this is to have a strong support system. They need to know that they have people there who will help them and who...
Spinal cord injuries and the horizons for recovery
A spinal cord injury can come from a variety of incidents, including things like automobile crashes and slip-and-fall accidents. When this type of catastrophic injury occurs, there is a plethora of information given in the initial days that can be very difficult to retain and process. If you have suffered a spinal cord injury or have a loved one who did, the medical care team is a good source of information. There are some points that are universal but many are individualized according to the situation. Location, type and severity of the injury The location of the injury, the type and the...
Teenage cellphone addiction and distracted driving
Do distracted driving laws curb cellphone use behind the wheel and lower the amount of accidents that happen every year? They can help, that much is true. However, drunk driving also causes a lot of accidents, and it's always been illegal. Perhaps we would see more DUI crashes without these laws, but the laws themselves have not fully put an end to the issue. Why is this? One potential reason may be the same in both cases: addiction. When people suffer from addiction, they will break laws, take risks and put people in danger at the whims of that addiction. We know this happens with those who...
Why is cancer sometimes not diagnosed properly?
Finding out that you have cancer is a shock that can be difficult to deal with. Some patients wonder how their treatment options might have differed if they had found out earlier about their illness. In some cases, things might have been very different if the cancer was diagnosed earlier because it might not have spread and worsened. There is a fine line that comes into the picture with cases like this. If the delay in diagnosis was because you weren't showing any signs of the condition, there likely isn't anything you can do. If the delay was because your doctor didn't go through proper...
What is standard of care in medical cases?
One of the things that patients count on is that doctors will do what is in their best interests. There are times when the care you receive isn't up to par. This can be the basis of a medical malpractice case if you suffer harm because of it. In the medical community, every case has a standard of care. This varies from one case to another based on the specific circumstances. Determining the standard of care that is appropriate isn't always easy, but it can be very important. What can change standard of care? Standard of care is determined by what a similar doctor would do with the same...
What is sepsis and why is it an emergency?
Many medical conditions can turn life-threatening if they aren't treated promptly. While many people might think of things like heart attacks and strokes when they hear this, there are others that can be just as serious. One condition that can turn fatal quickly is sepsis. Sepsis impacts more than 1.5 million Americans annually. Of those, at least 250,000 die. For this reason, doctors must be vigilant to check for this condition when patients may have it. What are the symptoms of sepsis? Sepsis causes a host of symptoms but not all patients will have every symptom. The six most common...
Can your job survive your mild brain injury?
After any blow to the head, it is always wise to consider whether or not you received a mild brain injury. If a mild bring injury remains undiagnosed, it can create surprisingly destructive symptoms that may destroy a victim's personal and professional life completely before the victim or those around him or her realize what is happening. In part, this is due to the nature of the injury. A brain injury, especially a mild one, is not visible to the victim or others. Also, brain injuries may not affect victims in predictable ways. Instead, the injuries may cause physical symptoms or...
How do doctors diagnose a traumatic brain injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) isn't always easy for doctors to diagnose. In fact, it's not uncommon for a car accident victim with a serious brain injury to go home after an accident because the doctor failed to detect the signs of a TBI. A delayed TBI diagnosis is especially problematic because victims need to receive specific medical treatment as soon as possible to prevent the worsening of their symptoms. Also, victims need a diagnosis to support any legal claims for damages that may arise from the accident. How doctors look for brain injuries: The Glasgow Coma Scale The Glasgow Coma...