Word on the street is that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) is considering making black boxes mandatory in all highway-capable vehicles. Until the details are settled, it is hard to tell if the benefits will outweigh the costs. Continue reading “Little Black Boxes Could Mean Big Brother is Watching”
Doctors’ Offices Have the Same Threat of Medical Errors as Hospitals
Patients who fear going to the hospital can add another place to their list: the doctors’ office. Despite the widespread belief that patients are more likely to experience serious or fatal medical errors in hospitals, adverse events are just as frequent in doctors’ offices. Continue reading “Doctors’ Offices Have the Same Threat of Medical Errors as Hospitals”
Government Works to Drive Away In-Vehicle Distractions
Distracted driving has become a national epidemic affecting drivers of all ages. With so many demands on drivers’ attention, it is easy to look away from the road, remove hands from the steering wheel or let the mind wander. But, in a split second, that quick glance away, fleeting thought or quick grab can result in tragedy: in 2009 alone, nearly 5,500 people died in crashes involving distracted drivers.
The federal government has decided enough is enough and has launched initiatives to reduce distracted driving. Launching the website d!straction.gov, the U.S. Department of Transportation hopes to reach parents, teachers, students, employers and law enforcement with the message to just “Put It Down” and focus on driving responsibly. Further, it has requested a $50 million budget in 2010 to expand ticketing efforts against texting while driving. However, the efforts do not end there.
By 2017, estimates indicate more than 17 million vehicles equipped with info-tainment systems will be cruising America’s roadways. These systems give drivers the ability to multitask while driving. With these vehicles, drivers may be able to:
- Check email
- Change music sources
- Update social network statuses
- Operate telephone interfaces
- Monitor navigational systems
The U.S. Transportation Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are targeting carmakers and urging them to curb the in-car media revolution. In addition to minimizing onboard technology-driven diversions, carmakers are being encouraged to reallocate marketing budgets to include funding for public-service announcements reminding drivers to focus on the road.
Balancing consumer demand for the communication technology and the government’s urging is a challenge that carmakers must meet. If they do not, the Department of Transportation has the power to curb the technology built into cars if there is a demonstrated threat to public safety.
Carmakers have made the move to hands-free technology, but this may not be enough to satisfy the Department of Transportation. In addition to launching campaigns against distracted driving and influencing carmakers, the Department is studying the impact of technology on attentive driving, including hands-free devices. It expects to conclude its research and finalize a new set of guidelines governing in-vehicle communications technology by early 2012.
DePuy Hip Replacement Recall Details
In the five year period between August 2005 and 2010, more than 90,000 patients globally had hip surgeries using the ASR XL Acetubular System and ASR Hip Resurfacing System. In late August, 2010, the voluntary recall of those systems was announced by the producer, DePuy Orthopedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson.
The recall came more than two years after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first began to receive complaints related to the products, demonstrating the agency’s significant delay from first receiving information about serious problems with potentially defective medical devices to taking action against responsible parties.
Some industry observers feel the FDA should have been more rigorous in its testing and monitoring of the DePuy hip implants. Critics state that higher than normal failure rates with these hip implants were observed early on by medical facilities across the country and abroad.
Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
The main problem with the defective hip implants is that debris may wear off of the metal-on-metal bearings causing damage and inflammation to adjacent tissue. Symptoms of the attendant damage are hip and leg pain, difficulty walking and swelling around the affected joint.
Problems with the DePuy hip replacements resulted in 12-13 percent of patients needing secondary surgeries to replace the defective devices within five years. These revision surgeries can be painful and costly.
Any individual who has undergone hip surgery with one of the recalled devices should first contact their physician to have their hip evaluated. Affected individuals should also contact an attorney with specific expertise in DePuy hip implant cases. A knowledgeable lawyer can evaluate potential claims and help impacted patients receive compensation for their injuries and suffering.
