Parents and Caregivers Reminded that Summer Heat Makes It Especially Dangerous to Leave Children in Cars

The risk of a serious injury or death during hot weather is heightened for children left alone in vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned today. New research shows that for children hyperthermia (heat-stroke) is the leading cause of non-crash vehicle deaths.

“Even with the windows rolled down two inches, it only takes 10 minutes for the inside of a vehicle to reach deadly temperatures on a hot summer day,” said Ronald Medford, Acting Deputy Administrator of NHTSA. “Children should never be left alone in or around a motor vehicle, not even for a quick errand. Any number of things can go critically wrong in the blink of an eye.”

Each year, 262 children under the age of 14 are killed and 115,000 are injured in not-in-traffic incidents on private roads, driveways and in parking lots according to a new NHTSA study. Out of that number, 44 fatalities and 105,000 injuries are the result of non-crashes. These incidents include hyperthermia, strangulation by power windows, carbon monoxide poisoning and more.

Many of the remaining deaths and injuries in not-in-traffic incidents are the result of a vehicle backing over a child that the driver did not see. View new research here.

Safety tips from NHTSA to prevent hyperthermia include:

• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.

• Do not let your children play in an unattended vehicle. Teach them that a vehicle is not a play area.

• Never leave infants or children in a parked vehicle, even if the windows are partially open or with the engine running and the air conditioning on.

• Make a habit of looking in the vehicle - front and back - before locking the door and walking away.

• If you are bringing your child to daycare, and normally it's your spouse or partner who brings them, have your spouse or partner call you to make sure everything went according to plan.

• Ask your childcare provider to call you if your child does not show up for childcare. Do things to remind yourself that a child is in the vehicle, such as:
-- Writing yourself a note and putting the note where you will see it when you leave the vehicle;
-- Placing your purse, briefcase or something else you need in the back seat so that you will have to check the back seat when you leave the vehicle; or
-- Keeping an object in the car seat, such as a stuffed toy. When the child is buckled in, place the object where the driver will notice it when he or she is leaving the vehicle.

• Always lock vehicle doors and trunks and keep keys out of children's reach. If a child is missing, check the vehicle first, including the trunk.

• If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call the police. If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible. Warning signs may include: red, hot, and moist or dry skin, no sweating, a strong rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse, nausea or acting strangely. Cool the child rapidly. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

www.nhtsa.gov/KeepingKidsSafe

Kidde Recalls Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms; Can Fail to Warn of a Fire

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Kidde recalled close to 94,000 of the Model PI2000 Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms. An electrostatic discharge can damage the unit, causing it not to warn consumers of a fire.

The firm has received two reported incidents of smoke alarm malfunctions involving electrostatic discharge during installation. No injuries have been reported.
This recall involves Kidde dual sensor smoke alarms model PI2000.

The alarms can be identified by two buttons, “HUSH” and “PUSH AND HOLD TO TEST WEEKLY,” which are located on the front/center of the alarm. The model number and date code are on the back of the smoke alarm. Only date codes 2008 Aug.01 through 2009 May 04 are included in this recall.

Retail, department, and hardware stores and through electrical distributors nationwide from August 2008 through May 2009 for between $30 and $40.

Acetaminophen Poisoning: Increasing Cause of Liver Failure

The number of unintentional, severe cases of liver failure related to acetaminophen poisoning is rising, despite a decade of warnings about the risks of taking more than the recommended dose.

"Acetaminophen poisoning has become the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States," reports a recent study in Hepatology, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

The results of the study have been summarized in a New York Times report and in online news columns.

Acetaminophen is the most commonly used pain-reliever in the US, with 36% of Americans ingesting it at least once each month, according to one . However, taking more than the recommended dose of acetaminophen can lead to fatal liver injury.
Last week, a federal advisory panel recommended banning the popular prescription pain drugs Vicodin and Percocet. The reason: the pills contain the over-the-counter pain reliever acetaminophen, which has been linked to liver damage.

For regular users of acetaminophen, the ingredient in Tylenol and many cold medications, the news was troubling. Should we all toss acetaminophen from our medicine cabinets?

The answer is no. When used as directed, the drug is harmless. But acetaminophen is now in so many products that it is relatively easy to take more than the recommended daily limit, now four grams. In a study, about 50% of liver failure cases related to acetaminophen poisoning were unintentional, while the other half resulted from attempted suicide.

Child dies after being locked in car at daycare for over 6 hours

A two-year old boy died of hyperthermia after being left alone for 6 1/2 hours in a car outside of a Bucks County day care center, authorities said.

The child had been left in the car by the operator of the center, who took the boy to the facility three times a week since September. However, yesterday she forgot the child was in the back seat while she went inside Fairy Tales Day Care Center. Only returning to her car at 4:45pm to find the toddler unresponsive after being locked in the car with the windows up for over 6 hours.

He was taken into the daycare and 911 was called. An ambulance took him to St. Mary's medical center where he was pronounced dead shortly after. The temperature reached a high of 83 degrees that day.

If you have ever had a similar situation, or know of anyone who had, call Messa & Associates at 215.568.3500 or 877-MESSALAW

Philadelphia doctor under investigation of giving the wrong radiation treatment to dozens of prostate cancer patients

Dr. Gary D. Kao is under investigation of giving the wrong radiation dose to dozens of prostate-cancer patients at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. The U.S. Senate hearing began on June 29, 2009.

Investigations of the brachytherapy program, which is a popular form of radiation therapy, at the Philadelphia hospital found that their team, who performed the procedure, botched 92 of 116 occasions and continued the treatment for a year even though the monitoring equipment was broken. The brachytherapy program at Philadelphia VA, began in 2002, treats prostate cancer without having to resort to major surgery.

Brachytherapy is a popular alternative for patients with early non-aggressive cancer that has not spread beyond the prostate. Physicians permanently implant 80-120 metal seeds the size of rice grains, into the prostate, that release cell-killing radiation over a 10-month period.

Medical Center spokesman Dale Wardan says that the center is giving follow up care to all the veterans who received defective treatment.

If you have ever had radiation therapy treatments at Philadelphia VA Medical Center, and may have a claim, call Messa & Associates at 215.568.3500 or 877-MESSALAW.