Justia Lawyer Rating for Robert D. Kreisman

by

More than 40 million American women are the primary caregivers for a sick person, very often their husbands. According to a recent New York Times article, when a caregiving wife runs into a friend, acquaintance or even a relative, the most frequently asked question is, ”How is he doing?” The Times reports that people often forget to ask about the wife, who may be struggling to juggle a job and child care as well as patient care.

She faces disruptions in her work and social life, sleep habits, exercise routine, household management and financial situation. She may also be stuck with cleaning up bathroom accidents, servicing medical equipment and fulfilling challenging dietary requirements.

And as one expert put it, for some wives, caregiving is ”a roller coaster ride from hell,” with each day bringing new challenges, demands and adjustments. Diana B. Denholm, a psychotherapist, wrote about the life of a caregiver in her book, ”The Caregiving Wife’s Handbook,’‘ recently published by Hunter House.

Continue reading

by

Good news for people who have suffered cardiac arrest: Your chances of survival are higher than they were ten years ago.

That is the conclusion reached in a recent study and reported in the journal Circulation.
Researchers who completed the study theorized that the survival rate is higher now because of changes in hospital treatment and the way bystanders respond when a person collapses.

Continue reading

by

A jury has awarded an 84-year-old woman resident of a nursing home $6.5 million following a fall from her bed.
The resident, V.C., was a known fall risk because she had suffered a stroke. She had been living at Stanleytown Healthcare Center. Her personal care plan called for her to use bed and chair alarms.
V.C. rolled out of bed when she attempted to go to the bathroom. She fell, breaking her left shoulder and hip.

Continue reading

by

A consortium of 55 hospitals in the New York region has launched a campaign to aggressively identify sepsis for early treatment. Hospital administrators say the campaign is needed because sepsis, a leading cause of death in hospitals, can at first look like less serious ailments.

The new campaign was recently highlighted in a story published by the New York Times. The Times story focused on Rory Staunton, 12, who suffered what seemed like a minor cut on his arm while diving for a basketball during a gym class. The P.E. director at his school applied Band-aids to the cut, and Rory went about his normal routine. That night, he told his parents about the incident in the gym, did his homework and went to bed.

The next day, he started vomiting, spiked a high fever and reported pain in his leg. His parents brought him to a pediatrician, who referred him to the emergency room at NYU Langone Medical Center, where he was treated for upset stomach and dehydration. Doctors prescribed fluids and Tylenol and sent the boy home.

Continue reading

by

As the U.S. population ages, increasing numbers of people are taking care of elderly relatives. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released a new study that reports that, in the past three months, 39.8 million Americans have provided unpaid care to someone over 65 because of a condition related to aging.

A story on the recent report was published in the New York Times.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 78 million American children were born between 1945 and 1964 in the years following World War II. Now those children are heading into their golden years, starting retirement and facing some of the illnesses usually associated with old age. Many of their caregivers will be their sons and daughters.

Continue reading

by

The New York Times has reported that long-time use of prescription antacid drugs can result in certain illnesses, including severe anemia, bone fracture and infections. The medications can be especially dangerous for older patients, who are urged to used them as briefly as possible.

The Times cited the example of a medical student, Jolene Rudell, who fainted; she assumed that the stress of being in medical school had caused her to pass out. Two weeks later, she lost consciousness again.

Blood tests showed Rudell’s red blood cell count and iron level were dangerously low, even though she is a hearty eater (and a carnivore). Her physician pointed to another possible culprit: a popular drug used by millions of Americans to prevent gastroesophageal acid reflux, or severe heartburn.

Continue reading

by

It would seem to be a logical condition of surgery that surgeons first shave areas where the incision would be made. Many surgeons believe it is important to remove anything that would obstruct the place where the surgery takes place. Still other surgeons believe that shaving the area of the surgical entry spot will eliminate bacteria that can attach to hair.
In a recent article in the health section in the New York Times, it was pointed out that research now shows that shaving a patient’s skin before the surgery may actually raise the risk of infection.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), surgical site infections have become a leading cause of complications among hospital patients. This would account for one of five of health-care associated infections. Thousands of deaths are associated with surgical site infections.

Continue reading

by

Physicians should be aware that patients can use their smart phones or other electronic devices to tape alleged malpractice or negligence and introduce this evidence at trial. The presiding judge will determine whether the videotape may be presented.

Videotape, audiotape, and/or photographs can be introduced at trial if a proper foundation is laid and the subject matter is relevant, according to Robert Kreisman, JD, medical malpractice and personal injury attorney with Kreisman Law Offices in Chicago.
Kreisman was quoted in a recent issue of ED Legal Letter.

“To inform the jury, videotape could be introduced to give time and place. On the other hand, it depends on the quality of the videotape and what it depicts,” says Kreisman.

Continue reading

by

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) have been receiving a lot of attention lately because of the large number of such injuries suffered by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the risk of concussions in sports like football and hockey. But many TBI incidents are caused by car accidents or car-pedestrian accidents. In the elderly, many brain injuries are caused by falls. Often these falls occur when patients are left unsupervised in hospitals or nursing homes.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.7 million people a year experience a traumatic brain injury in the United States. Of those, 275,000 are hospitalized, and more than 50,000 die. More than 5 million Americans are estimated to suffer from a long-term disability following such injuries. The direct medical expenses and indirect costs, including lost productivity, have been estimated at $76 billion a year, according to the C.D.C.

Now scientists are examining the use of progesterone, the reproductive hormone, to help TBI patients. The new study, described in the New York Times, was financed by the National Institutes of Health and overseen by Emory University in Atlanta. The purpose of the study is to test the hypothesis that the hormone can reduce mortality and disability if administered right after a traumatic brain injury.

Continue reading

by

A lawsuit has been filed accusing IU Health of over-billing uninsured patients more for treatment than insured patients. This case has drawn a lot of attention. The matter was argued recently before the Indiana Supreme Court.

The case involves a 2010 lawsuit filed by two uninsured patients. The patients accused IU Health of over-billing them.

Although the original lawsuit for the over-billing was small, the consequences are enormous. Should the Indiana Supreme Court rule favorably, it would allow other patients to sue for hospital over-billings as far back as ten years. If the plaintiffs win the appeal, the case against IU Health could be converted to a class action.

Continue reading