Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Attorney Blog

It was once believed that 2 in every 100,000 children are victims of a stroke but thanks to the work of doctors at the Pediatric Stroke Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia it is now estimated that 12 in every 100,000 children suffer from strokes.

Strokes are so uncommon in children that parents and many doctors never imagine the child is suffering from a stroke although they may be presenting with the signs and symptoms associated with a stroke. In most cases strokes aren't recognized in children until 24 hours after the first sign or symptom. In all stroke cases, time is of the essence, the faster a stroke is diagnosed and treated the less brain damage the patient will experience. Those at the highest risk for a stroke are children born with a hole in their heart and those with vascular problems however the risk is so low that they are not routinely screened for a stroke.

Children suffering from a stroke present the same symptoms of adults suffering from a stroke. The child may lose the ability to walk, speak, use one side of their body, and may become disoriented. Child stroke suffers are more capable of leading a healthy and active life than those who experience a stroke as an adult. A child's brain is still developing and is able to work around those areas affected by the stroke and many return to full health with no disabilities or impairments.

Related Web Sources:
Children Don't Have Strokes? Just Ask Jared

Doctors at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Center City Philadelphia are very excited about a new option for brain cancer patients. The drug Avastin originally developed to treat colon cancer has found to be effective in improving the quality life of brain cancer patients. The drug works at blocking the protein that the tumor needs to grow. The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the drug for use with brain cancer patients.

Over ten thousand people die each year due to brain tumors. Avastin has yet to be proven to lengthen the life of brain cancer patients but studies have shown that the drug can vastly improve their day to day lives. Avastin also has fewer and less severe side effects of the typical treatments for brain tumors, chemotherapy and radiation.

Doctors and researchers are very excited about the potential of Avastin and other drugs like it. "I don't think anybody thinks Avastin is going to be a home run, but in a field which didn't even have singles or doubles, Avastin is a triple," Dr. Adam Dicker of Jefferson University Hospital said.

Related Web Sources:

A new treatment for brain tumors

Philadelphia area nursing homes facilities may be using anti-psychotics to replace physical restraints on patients. Physical restraints are illegal nationwide and with estimations of 1 in 4 patients receiving anti-psychotics investigations into chemical restraints have begun.

Using a chemical as a restraint is also illegal but with the number of patients being drugged on the rise it is relatively easy to hide. Physical restraints are visible but aggressive anti-psychotics aimed to restrain a patient are not easily detectable. The Food and Drug Administration has estimated that 15,000 nursing home patients are killed each year due to unnecessary anti-psychotics. Investigations have lead to multiple deaths from chemical restraints and in some cases patients where physically held down and given the powerful anti-psychotic drug.

With the increasing number of loved ones being placed in nursing home, nursing home abuse has also been on the rise. Along with chemical restraints, nursing home abuse can be physical, verbal, emotional, and mental. When loved ones are placed in long term care facilities it is believed that they will be treated with the highest standard of care, unfortunately that is not always the case.

Additional Resources:
ABC News: 3 Nursing Home Patients Killed by Chemical Restraints

For Philadelphia area women to best way to diagnosis an abnormal mammography is a needle biopsy but patients and physicians now have a new technique to aid in distinguishing between cancer and benign breast lesions.

The new technique, elastography, is added to a breast ultrasound study and measures the elasticity of the lesion. Malignant breast masses tend to be stiffer than cancerous masses. While ultrasound studies have been used for years to determine if the abnormalities on the mammogram were solid masses, it fails to distinguish if solid masses are cancerous.

A seven year study at a hospital in London compared elastography with needle biopsies and found that the elastography procedure correctly identified 98 percent of cancerous lesions. The study also discovered that elastography is more accurate in gauging the size of the lesions than a traditional ultrasound.

The new technique will not eliminate breast biopsies but an ultrasound performed with elastography will help patients and physicians make more informed decisions.

Related Web Sources:

Ask Dr. H: Needle biopsy still the best cancer test