Nursing Home Lawyer & Attorney : Stark & Stark Law Firm : Elder Care, Senior Care

Lately there has been a lot of news about contaminated batches of the blood thinning drug Heparin injuring patients.  The injury attorneys of my firm are actively investigating potential Heparin injury claims on behalf of people across the country. 

After it came to light that contaminated Heparin was causing sever allergic reactions and death in certain patients, the FDA issued a recall of the drug which was manufactured in China. 

If you or a loved one were victim of a severe allergic reaction or death after being administered Heparin you can have an experienced injury lawyer from my firm investigate your potential case.

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We wanted to inform the readers of our blog of the recent recall for the drug Digitek. Digitek was initially prescribed to treat cardiac arrhythimas and heart failure, but more recently has been known to have devastating effects for those to have taken the medication.

The recall was announced after Digitek tablets were distributed with double the amount of the approved active ingredient. Several incidents of serious injury and death in patients who have taken the drug have already been reported. Some patients have reported toxicity, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure, cardiac instability and bradycardia.

If you or a loved one have suffered a severe illness, injury or death after taking Digitek, you can have an experienced injury attorney from our firm review your potential case.

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Below is an extraordinarily promising article involving a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease.  A very significant component of nursing home and Assisted Living populations includes physically healthy individuals with developing Alzheimer's. 

The drug, Enbrel - commonly used to treat arthritis, in recent tests has shown to reverse the effects of Alzheimer's Disease in just minutes. Enbrel is believed to assist those with Alzheimer's by delivering the same relief the drug offers arthritis patients. The drug, which is used to relieve the inflammation in joints of people suffering from arthritis, researchers now believe can reduce the inflammation in the brain of people suffering from Alzheimer's.

This article offer some hope for the many families and patients suffering from this devastating illness.

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Simin N Meydani, Junaidah B Barnett, Gerard E Dallal, Basil C Fine, Paul F Jacques, Lynette S Leka and Davidson H Hamer

1 From the Nutritional Immunology Laboratory (SNM, JBB, LSL, and DHH), the Biostatistics Unit (GED), and the Nutritional Epidemiology Program (PJF), Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA; the Department of Pathology, Sackler Graduate School of Biochemical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA (SNM); the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University (SNM, JBB, GED, PFJ, and DHH); the Nutrition/Infection Unit, Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (JBB); the Travel and Tropical Medicine Practice, Boston, MA (BCF); the Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (DHH); and the Center for International Health and Development, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (DHH)

Background: Zinc plays an important role in immune function. The association between serum zinc and pneumonia in the elderly has not been studied.

Objective: The objective was to determine whether serum zinc concentrations in nursing home elderly are associated with the incidence and duration of pneumonia, total and duration of antibiotic use, and pneumonia-associated and all-cause mortality.

Design: This observational study was conducted in residents from 33 nursing homes in Boston, MA, who participated in a 1-y randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled vitamin E supplementation trial; all were given daily doses of 50% of the recommended dietary allowance of essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc. Participants with baseline (n = 578) or final (n = 420) serum zinc concentrations were categorized as having low (<70 µg/dL) or normal serum zinc concentrations. Outcome measures included the incidence and number of days with pneumonia, number of new antibiotic prescriptions, days of antibiotic use, death due to pneumonia, and all-cause mortality.

Results: Compared with subjects with low zinc concentrations, subjects with normal final serum zinc concentrations had a lower incidence of pneumonia, fewer (by almost 50%) new antibiotic prescriptions, a shorter duration of pneumonia, and fewer days of antibiotic use. Normal baseline serum zinc concentrations were associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality (P = 0.049).

Conclusion: Normal serum zinc concentrations in nursing home elderly are associated with a decreased incidence and duration of pneumonia, a decreased number of new antibiotic prescriptions, and a decrease in the days of antibiotic use. Zinc supplementation to maintain normal serum zinc concentrations in the elderly may help reduce the incidence of pneumonia and associated morbidity.

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A recent study by the National Institute of Mental Health indicated that widely prescribed anti-psychotic drugs do not help most Alzheimer’s patients with delusions and aggression and are not worth the risk of sudden death and other side effects. The study tested Zyprexa, Risperdal and Seroquel - newer drugs developed for schizophrenia that doctors are free to prescribe for any use. These drugs are commonly administered to nursing home residents. All three of the drugs carry a strong warning that they increase the risk of death for elderly people with dementia related psychotic symptoms. Yet, roughly one-quarter of nursing home patients are on these drugs. Residents are often put on these types of medications and not particularly monitored and treated for indefinite periods of time. It is strongly advised that any family member with a loved one in a nursing home speak with the loved one’s physician at the nursing home and understand the pros and cons of administering these medications.

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Dementia medication has become a new concern for nursing home residents and their caretakers. A recent study by the National Institute of Mental Health indicated that widely prescribed anti-psychotic drugs do not help most Alzheimer’s patients with delusions and aggression and are not worth the risk of sudden death and other side effects. The study tested Zyprexa, Risperdal and Seroquel - newer drugs developed for schizophrenia that doctors are free to prescribe for any use. These drugs are commonly administered to nursing home residents. All three of the drugs carry a strong warning that they increase the risk of death for elderly people with dementia related psychotic symptoms. Yet, roughly one-quarter of nursing home patients are on these drugs. Residents are often put on these types of medications and not particularly monitored and treated for indefinite periods of time. It is strongly advised that any family member with a loved one in a nursing home speak with the loved one’s physician at the nursing home and understand the pros and cons of administering these medications.

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