The salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter by Minnesota state health officials has hit Fayette County, according to kentucky.com, "Lexington Salmonella Case Part of Outbreak Linked To Peanut Butter." This was the third salmonella case in Kentucky linked to the peanut butter; people in 43 states have been infected. The peanut butter manufacturer, King Nut, voluntarily recalled the peanut butter.
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A five-star rating system for nursing homes was announced Thursday, December 18, by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, see http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare.
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Parents concerned about the safety of kid's toys can find helpful information on a website, amomsblog.wordpress.com, established by an Alabama mother, Trisha Gilbert, the Detroit Free Press reports, "Web Sites Helping Parents Choose Safer Toys For Kids." Although the Consumer Protection Safety Commission banned the use of a toxic substance, phthalates, in the manufacture of toys the ban does not take effect until February 10, 2009, and toys made before that date containing phthalates may still be sold. Parents may also find additional, helpful information at healthytoys.org and on the CPSC's website, www.recalls.gov.
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Patients and patient's families are having increasing success in holding hospital's liable for preventable infections, according to the Wisconsin Law Journal, "Hospital Infections Spread, So Do Lawsuits." Patients in Missouri, Massachusetts and Utah have recently succeeded in holding hospitals' liable for injuries caused by infections such as Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) and necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacteria.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 90,000 deaths occur annually from hospital-acquired infections and about 2 million hospital-acquired infections are reported each year. In recognition that most hospital-acquired infections are preventable, Medicare stopped reimbursing hospitals for treatment related to hospital-acquired infections on October 1, 2008.
A leading family safety advocate on the issue of hospital infections is the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths (RID), whose website has much helpful information.
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A family has documented by videotape the abuse of a family member at a Richmond nursing home, Madison Manor, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports, "Videotape At Nursing Home Documents Abuse." Family members of an Irvine woman, Armeda Thomas, noticed bruises on her and could not get a straight answer from the nursing home staff. So to find out the truth they installed a videocamera in her room. The camera filmed numerous instances of physical abuse, failure to properly feed, and numerous other instances of neglect. The nursing home has been cited by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Madison Manor is owned by Extendicare, a Wisconsin-based company. Extendicare has been and is involved in numerous patient abuse and neglect lawsuits. A lawsuit in Washington state alleges that an Extendicare nursing home there violated a consumer protection law by advertising high-quality, skilled nursing care and failing to deliver and another law that that bars nursing homes from making residents sign a form waiving liability for injury or property loss, according to seattlepi.com. Also reported is that federal records show that nearly all of Extendicare's Washington homes have higher-than-average scores for health deficiencies from state inspectors. A class action lawsuit filed in Wisconsin claims that Extendicare fraudulently advertised its services and intentionally admitted more acutely ill residents without hiring enough staff to properly care for them, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, "Class-action suit filed against Extendicare nursing home." The Chicago Nursing Home Lawyer Blogreports a similar class action lawsuit was filed against Extendicare in Minnesota.
Kentucky families with concerns about a nursing home, or the care a family member is receiving in a nursing home or about the possible abuse or neglect of a family member or loved one in a nursing home can find help by contacting or visiting the web site of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform or Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass.
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Elderly diabetics taking the drug rosiglitazone, which is sold under the brand name Avandia, face a greater risk of developing congestive heart failure a Harvard Medical School report has found, according to the New York Times, "Diabetes Drug Linked To Higher Rate Of Death." The study tracked 28,361 Medicare beneficiaries for up to five years and found that death rates were 15% higher and incidents of congestive heart failure 13% higher for those treated with rosiglitazone compared with those taking pioglitazone.
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Children's toys, including teethers and pacifiers, tainted by the presence of the controversial chemical phthalate will remain for sale for now and even after a ban takes effect on February 10, 2009, provided they were manufactured before that date, according to a decision by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Washington Post reports, "Some Toys With Banned Plastics Will Stay On Market."
Phthalates are a chemical used in soft plastics and are linked to reproductive problems. Their use was banned by a law passed in August. However, the Commission's ruling will allow products made before that date which use the banned substance to be sold, even after February 10, 2009.
The Commission proposes a remedy that is unworkable; it says that concerned parents can call a product's manufacturer and find out when the item was made. This is a proposal untethered from reality. One can first question the reliability of any information a parent would receive. Do you call before the item is purchased? Do you identify the item on the store shelf, call and return later hoping to find the same item on the shelf? Ignoring these realities the Commission caved into industry's complaints about complying with this law protecting families and their children.
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Mislabeled insulin syringes manufactured by Covidien. Ltd. and sold by Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores have been recalled, according to a report in the New York Times, "Insulin Syringes Are Recalled." The recall was announced by the Food and Drug Administration. The mislabeling could cause patients to receive 2.5 times the normal dose; approximately 471,000 syringes, which go by the brand name ReliOn, are said to affected.
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The American Association for Justice has released a report, Get Out of Jail Free: How the Bush Administration Helps Corporations Escape Accountability, detailing the systematic and widespread undermining of family and consumer protections by Bush Administration agencies and political appointees. Through documents and emails obtained via the Freedom Of Information Act the AAJ report traces the evolution and development of a federal preemption strategy, a legal doctrine by which state law protections for families and consumers are eliminated or "preempted" by federal regulations that insulate corporations from liability, accountability and responsibility for their defective products.
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Following the death of one child and harrowing incidents involving others the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced today the recall of about 600,000 drop side cribs manufactured by Delta Enterprise Corp. The drop side of the defective cribs can detach when its spring peg is not engaged. Further and detailed information can be obtained at the CPSC website by clicking here.
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