Monthly Archives: May 2011

Mount Vernon bus crash re-opens school bus safety debate

As the school year winds down, students are looking forward to many things. And for some, not having to ride the school bus may now be on that list. Earlier this week, 35 students were taken to the hospital after two school buses were involved in an accident. One school bus driver was looking in the rear-view mirror and scolding a student when she crashed into another school bus in Mount Vernon, east of Indianapolis in Hancock County. The incident is causing a renewal of discussion about just how safe our children’s school buses really are. While nearly 100 students were injured in the Mount Vernon crash, no students or drivers were killed in the accident. But it does serve as a reminder of the importance of bus driver safety. This accident was caused because a bus driver was not paying attention to her primary responsibility: safely transporting school children….
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Should ER doctors order CT scans for children with head injuries?

Summer is drawing nearer every day, and that means it’s almost time for children to be outside playing as the school year comes to a close. Summer also inevitably brings a few bumps and bruises. Sometimes those bumps are small, and no harm is done. But when bumps on the head are accompanied by vomiting and other symptoms of a serious brain injury, parents are right to be worried. In these situations, parents and children often arrive at emergency rooms. ER doctors then need to determine if the head injury could be linked to brain injury, or if the child will be fine in a few hours. A new study was recently released indicating that doctor’s should spend more time observing children before ordering CT scans that would definitively diagnose or rule out brain injuries. CT scans are the best way for doctor’s to look at a child’s brain and…
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Brain injury suspected in another professional athlete’s death

Earlier this month, we talked about a National Football League star who suffered multiple brain injuries throughout his career. As we mentioned before, Dave Duerson’s brain was donated to research that revealed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Now, another professional athlete’s brain will be donated to the same research at Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. National Hockey League star Derek Boogaard died last Friday. His family has chosen to honor his request to donate his brain to the study. Like football players, hockey players take many hard hits throughout their careers. Although there is less publicity surrounding the concussions suffered by hockey players, they can be just as serious as those suffered in football. In fact, before his death, Boogaard was preparing to return to the game after sitting out much of last season with a serious concussion. The cause of his death is unknown,…
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