Almost everyone suffers a burn from time to time. Most are common heat burns caused by hot objects or liquids, steam, or fire. Children and elderly people are the most susceptible to these, but anyone can suffer these types of burns. They are typically first-degree burns, which affect the top layer of skin. Second-degree burns injure the first and second layers, while third- and fourth-degree burns go deeper and require immediate medical treatment. Heat, however, is by no means the only cause of such injuries. Electrical burns may require emergency care Lightning, household current, high-voltage wires, and stun guns can cause electrical burns. An injury of this kind might cause damage to internal tissues, and the victim should be seen by a physician. Call 911 if the person seems confused, has trouble breathing, is experiencing muscle spasms or seizures, or has suffered cardiac arrest. Chemical burns can be caused by…

Back in 2011, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the private organization that establishes training standards for physicians, made history by limiting the number of hours that first-year residents (i.e., interns) could work per shift to 16. These changes were hastened by the findings of a 2009 study by the Institute of Medicine, which determined after a yearlong review that doctors who worked over 16 straight hours posed a very real danger to both the patients in their care and themselves. Subsequent research supported this notion, as Harvard researchers found that interns who worked in the Intensive Care Unit for 24-plus hours made 36 percent more serious medical errors than their well-rested counterparts. Furthermore, a 2007 study by UCLA researchers found that almost 20 percent of residents who worked extended shifts indicated that they had fallen asleep behind the wheel on their way home. Given this comprehensive body of…

During the holiday season, anyone who dares ventures onto the internet without a defined purpose will invariably find themselves inundated with not just advertisements, but a multitude of ratings for everything from home electronics and kitchen appliances to clothing and power tools. However, thanks to the recent efforts of researchers at the Auto Insurance Center, a news-driven website focused on "all things automotive," people can now browse an entirely new set of ratings that they may find both helpful and horrifying. Specifically, the AIC used information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting Center to identify the most common elements present in deadly accidents, and then rank the 50 states according to the prevalence of these types of fatal crashes within their borders from 2005 to 2015. What were found to be the most common elements of deadly accidents? According to the AIC's 2nd Annual Study of America's Fatal…

Due to the rigors of everyday life -- going to work, attending school, raising children, managing a household, etc. -- many people find themselves operating on a sleep deficit on a regular basis. In fact, even those people who don't have these types of concerns can still find themselves sacrificing sleep, perhaps staying up late to read, watch television or spend time with friends. While most people try to offset the loss of a few hours of sleep with an extra cup of coffee or two, the reality is that most will end up going through the day feeling altogether drowsy. As rough as this can be, it can also prove to be incredibly dangerous should they make the decision to get behind the wheel. According to a recently released report by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, those drivers who sleep less than the seven hours per day recommended by the…

Every day, people across Georgia head to local medical offices for what they hope will prove to be uneventful visits, meaning their physical exams, blood work, and imaging tests reveal them to be in acceptable -- if not great -- health. While this proves to be the case for the majority of patients, there are others for whom these visits can prove to be highly unnerving if not entirely nightmarish. Indeed, they might receive a less than stellar diagnosis from their treating physician who informs them that surgery is either necessary or at least worthy of serious consideration. As upsetting as this reality can be, many patients will go on to meet with a specialist and, based upon their subsequent consultation and their faith in his or her abilities, agree to undergo the surgical procedure. While most of the time these surgeries will prove to be successful, or at least…