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• Drunk Doctors a Concern for Maine Patients?

  Don Briggs | February 18, 2008 6:06 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  Hopefully this situation will never arise in Maine but it has in New Jersey. A New Jersey pediaitrician had his license to practice medicine revoked for allegedly being drunk on the job, administering expired vaccines to young patients and pointing a loaded gun at two assistants. As many as 1,100 children may not have been properly immunized and, as a result, may not be protected according to...

• Medication Errors in Maine Hospitals

  Alison Mynick, RN, Esq. | February 18, 2008 3:01 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  One in 10 patients in Massachusetts hospitals suffers serious and avoidable medication mistakes. Can what is happening to Maine patients in Maine hospitals be very different? Probably not.The study by a Boston doctor, reported in the Boston Globe shows that the culprit is a doctor's handwritten order for medicine in a patient chart. When a hospital switiches to a computerized ordering system...

• Maine Leads the Way in Protecting Children from Second Hand Smoke

  Don Briggs | February 01, 2008 4:05 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  Over the years, Maine has been a leader in protecting the right of non-smokers to breath clean air in public spaces, but, until now, no one has dared try and tell smokers what they can and can't do in their houses and cars. However, a new city ordinance has changed all this for Bangor drivers, who can now be pulled over and fined up to 50 dollars for smoking in the car in the presence of...

• Slippery Maine Roads and Distracted Drivers Make for a Dangerous Winter Mix of Car Accidents and Injury

  Don Briggs | January 18, 2008 5:03 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  Did you know that driver distraction causes about 80% of all car accidents? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driver inattention is the number one cause of accidents. An article summarizing the findings reports that drowsiness increases the risk of crashes by at least a factor of four, looking at something outside the car more than triples the chance of accident,...

• Nursing Home Abuse and Financial Exploitation of Elderly is a Serious Problem in Maine

  Don Briggs | January 15, 2008 1:35 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  Retirement is supposed to be the reward for a long life of hard work, but for many Maine seniors, the golden years are being stolen away by caregiver neglect, physical abuse, and financial exploitation. Whether the abuse happens in nursing homes or is inflicted by the victims own family, it's becoming a big problem in the United States and Maine is no exception. Retirement is supposed to be the...

• Therapeutic Hypothermia in Maine: When is it Malpractice Not to Offer the Big Chill?

  Alison Mynick, RN, Esq. | January 03, 2008 8:41 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  It wasn't so long ago that some Maine heart attack victims who were resuscitated faced the following "good news/bad news" situation: The good news was that normal heart rhythm was restored after CPR. The heart attack victim lived. The bad news, often, was that lack of oxygen to the brain during the heart attack caused such serious brain damage that the survivor didn't seem like the same person...

• New Year's Resolution: Keep Count

  Alison Mynick, RN, Esq. | December 31, 2007 1:49 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  Today the Editor of the Boston Globe closes out 2007 with a list of 39 deaths from domestic violence. Senseless, needless, unjustified death. The Globe brings honor to itself, and the deceased, by humanizing these wrongful deaths. This is- no question-a generous and excellent use of a 6 x 18 inch space on the Globe's editorial page. Keeping the issue front and center is part of bringing...

• Bombardier Recreational Products Recalls Snowmobiles Due to Crash Hazard

  Jenny Albano | December 19, 2007 6:44 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., in conjunction with the CPSCA defect in the carburetor can prevent the throttle from freely returning to the idle position. This can result in an unexpected loss of control leading to a collision and cause serious injuries or death.The recalled Ski-Doo snowmobiles have their model name located on the side panels and they come in yellow or black/slate. So...

• Shain's of Maine Ice Cream is Recalling Kahlua Brownie and Double Fudge Brownie Ice Cream

  Jenny Albano | October 20, 2007 2:55 PM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  Shain's of Maine Ice Cream, in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling all quarts and 3 gallon tubs of Kahlua Brownie Ice Cream and 3 gallon tubs of Double Fudge Brownie Ice Cream because these products may contain egg which is not listed on the label. People who are allergic or have a sensitivity to egg could have severe allergic reactions or could face death if they consume this product.The...

• Starbucks Recalls Kids' Cups for Choking Hazard

  Courtney Mills | October 10, 2007 11:17 AM | 0 CommentsBangor & Augusta, ME

  Starbucks Corp., the world's largest coffee chain, is recalling approximately 250,000 kids' cups made in China because of choking and laceration hazards that the cups pose to children.The kids' cups when dropped tend to break on their colorful face (see above link for photo), leaving shards of plastic exposed on the face of the cup that may harm children. The company thus far has received seven...