More measures can help protect against vicious dog attacks
An article in the news responds to the the tragic death of a 23-month-old boy mauled by a pit bull last weekend and the debate over whether pit bull breeds should be banned altogether.
Child safety means protecting our children from animal attacks. I really don’t think pit bulls as a breed are the problem. It’s irresponsible owners that need to be put on a leash.
Recent example. I was getting ready for my morning run last week, when I came across a young female pit bull on the street in front of my house. She had a collar, no tags. As sweet as sweet could be. Very unhappy not being with her people.
I turned around and she followed me into my yard. My wife took her in, we gave her some food and water and I went out for my run. When I got home, I asked where the dog was. My wife told me she had crawled into bed with my college-aged son and was fast asleep. (My wife and I live on a small horse ranch, we know good animals and troubled animals from long experience. Don’t recommend you try this at home.)
Anyhow, we took the pit bull to the shelter as that was the best way to reconnect her with her people. But then there is the question, what was that dog doing running loose in the first place? Also, why no tag or chip for identification? All our dogs carry both, plus we’re double gated.
I support spaying and neutering except for legitimate breeding operations and better enforcement of licensing laws. It’s not just any breed that is the problem. It’s people who don’t respect the rights of other people or their own pets.
As USA grays, elder abuse risk and need for shelters grow
They’re weak, physically or mentally disabled or both, and often at the mercy of people they depend on the most: relatives and caretakers.
They’re the nation’s fast-growing elderly population, and many are prime targets for abuse — physical, financial, sexual or emotional.
Concern among the elderly and their advocates is mounting as the number of seniors soars and more of them live longer.
Read the rest of this article in USA Today. 
By learning to recognize signs of abuse and reporting suspected cases, you can make a difference in the lives of elderly and dependent Californians. Get your copy of A Citizens Guide to Preventing and Reporting Elder Abuse
The phenomenon of concussions in professional sport
There is a frightening lack of awareness about the dangers of concussion in sports. The fact that professional sports organizations are hiding their heads in the sand speaks volumes about the need for heightened awareness and better prevention and detection standards.
Over six months, The New York Times examined the life and death of the professional hockey player Derek Boogaard, who rose to fame as one of the sport’s most feared fighters before dying at age 28 on May 13. At the time of his death at age 28 that NHL enforcer Derek Boogaard had evidence of severe CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a condition often associated with repeated blows to the head.
Read the NY Times series of Article starting here: Derek Boogaard: A Boy Learns to Brawl
Doctors have to manage smartphone distractions
A recent article in the American Medical News reports that a survey in Journal of Medical Internet Research wrote “As the use of mobile devices grows among physicians, so does concern about how to minimize interruptions that could endanger patients.”
It is not surprising smartphones are impacting patient safety. The human brain doesn’t multitask the way most people think. In truth, there are numerous studies that indicate we don’t really multitask at all. So, when there is too much information coming at us from too many sources, our brains just can’t stay focused on the job at hand.
A great example is cell phone use in cars. The science tells us that using cell phones while driving is as dangerous as drinking and driving. The reason again has to do with the brain’s inability to process multiple trains of thought effectively.
When I took organization training years ago, one of the things they taught us was to turn off cellphones, emails and texting while working, and only turn them on at set intervals to check in, or if there is a genuine need to be available
Doctors as a group should be thinking about adopting industry wide standards to minimize cell phone distraction. It is an important patient safety issue.
Read the full article here in the American Medical Association online news.
