Hospital Drug Errors Hurt 1 in 15 Kids

The rate is alarming: one in fifteen hospitalized children will fall victim to an accidental overdose, experience a bad reaction to medication, or will be given the wrong drug—all of which could end in death.

Researcher used to believe that only two in 100 hospitalized kids would experience a drug-related harmful event. But a recent study using a new medical error detection method has found that number to be much higher. It’s now believed that 11 in 100 kids will be harmed during their hospital stay.

Until hospitals begin using fool-proof methods to prevent accidental overdoses and medicine mix-ups, it’s important that parents stay with their children in the hospital and question every medication that is being administered. Ask what medication your child is being given and why. Do your homework and be the watchdog your child needs.

Of course, avoiding the hospital altogether is the highest goal to achieve. That’s why chiropractic adjustments are such a valuable key to maintaining health—even in new born infants and small children. Take proactive measures to keep your kids out of the hospital. Feed them a healthy diet and forget the junk food. Make sure they get outside to play and exercise. And schedule them for regular chiropractic adjustments.

[source: April 2008 issue of the journal of Pediatrics]

Drug Errors Hurt 1 in 15 Hospitalized Kids

The above headline comes from an April 7, 2008, CNN story reporting on the large number of medical errors children receive while in hospitals in the US. The article starts off by saying, "Medicine mix-ups, accidental overdoses and bad drug reactions harm roughly one out of 15 hospitalized children, according to the first scientific test of a new detection method."

The new detection method mentioned in the article was described in a study published in the April 1, 2008 issue of the scientific journal, "Pediatrics", the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. According to the published journal study, "The purposes of this study were to develop a pediatric-focused tool for adverse drug event detection and describe the incidence and characteristics of adverse drug events in children's hospitals identified by this tool." The researchers described the tool as an actual "trigger method" that used certain indicators or "flags" to find adverse drug reactions in children as opposed to the previous method of depending on reports from supervising adults.

The results of the study showed that the rate of adverse drug events (ADE) was much higher than previously thought. Dr. Charles Homer of the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality, whose group helped develop the detection tool used in the study, stated, "These data and the Dennis Quaid episode are telling us that ... these kinds of errors and experiencing harm as a result of your health care is much more common than people believe. It's very concerning." In the CNN article, Dr. Homer referenced the recent news that actor Dennis Quaid's newborn twins got accidental life-threatening heparin overdoses in a Los Angeles hospital.

The study looked at 960 randomly selected children's charts from 12 children's hospitals and looked for the specific "triggers" in these charts. Researchers found that adverse drug event rates were 11.1 per 100 patients, 15.7 per 1000 patient-days, and 1.23 per 1000 medication doses. The study also showed that 22% of all adverse drug events were deemed preventable, 17.8% could have been identified earlier, and 16.8% could have been handled better.

Possibly the most disturbing portion of the study was that, according to researchers, only 3.7% of the adverse drug events would have been identified by previous methods. Researchers concluded, "Adverse drug event rates in hospitalized children are substantially higher than previously described. Most adverse drug events resulted in temporary harm, and 22% were classified as preventable."

Chiropractic Adjustments—NOT Antibiotics—Cure Ear Infections in Kids

In October 2007 a TV news station KDKA reported that something unusual was happening at a local pediatric office—the doctor was prescribing “chiropractic adjustments” to his patients suffering with chronic ear infections.

According to this pediatrician, when trying to clear up an ear infection, the use of antibiotics usually has little to no effect on the condition. Ear tubes, which require a local anesthesia and often fall out, were just an ineffective. So he started referring his troubled patients to the chiropractor.

Doctor of Chiropractic, Richard Rafferty, says that just 12 to 18 chiropractic adjustments in a period spanning one to two month should correct the problem and eliminate reoccurring ear infections. His adjustments have come with such success that the word has spread quickly among parents. On a weekly basis Dr. Rafferty now adjusts between 50 and 100 children suffering with chronic ear infections.

So what exactly is an ear infection, and how does chiropractic cure this condition?

When children (and adults) suffer from an ear infection, it is due to a misalignment in the vertebrae of the neck. These out-of-position vertebrae allow abnormal fluid drainage into the middle ear. That fluid is where bacteria grows, causing a painful infection. In order to cure the problem, chiropractors gently realign the vertebrae in the neck. They use a small instrument called an activator, which delivers a light tap, gently nudging misaligned vertebrae back into place, and thus curing the problem.

The full story can be seen on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThriveChiropractic

Kids

I always love it when existing clients bring in their kids to get adjusted. Number one it means that they get it-that chiropractic is for much more than just pain relief.

And number two, It honors me when they trust me with the care of their children. In the office, we don't charge for adjustments on kids under 12 (as long as the parent is getting adjusted)

We feel it's that important.

Give Your Kids the Gift of a Healthy Spine

The health of a child’s spine needs to be taken very seriously. A healthy spine will decrease their chance of injury, improve their posture, improve their overall health and help to avoid spinal problems such as scoliosis. in fact, studies have shown that children who receive regular chiropractic care are less frequently sick, are able to concentrate better and are generally healthier. As parents, this is what we want for our kids, right?

Here are three things that you can do today to help improve your child’s spinal health:

• Regular chiropractic care. Just as children need good hygiene, dental care and sound nutrition, they also need regular chiropractic care. Chiropractic care will help to restore and maintain normal spinal function, allowing a child’s body to develop optimally.
• Limit backpack weight. One common source of spinal injury for children is their heavy backpacks. Limit the weight of their backpacks to 10% - 15% of their body weight. For example: A child weighing 50 lbs. should carry no more than 7.5 lbs, and a child weighing 80 lbs. should carry no more than 12 lbs. If children carry more than this, they have an increased risk of injuring themselves.
• Keep kids active. There is an epidemic of childhood obesity in this country as more and more children spend their day in front of the television and playing computer games. This not only increases their risk of developing diabetes and heart disease early in life, it is also very stressfull on the spine. More and more children suffer from back pain and headaches simply because they don’t get enough exercise.

Every child is different and has unique needs. Your Doctor of Chiropractic is trained in evaluating and treating the spines of all ages. Give your kids the gift of a healthy spine by getting them regular chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Care Can Help...
Our goal is to adjust the spine and help stimulate your body's natural healing process.