Sandra is the Founder, Lead Legal Nurse Consultant, and Coordinator of Krug Consulting, a Legal Nurse Consulting firm. She is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). She has over 12 years of college ...
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Asbestos exposure is the cause of the killer mesothelioma
By Sandra Krug
Asbestos is the trade name given to certain types of fibrous materials. They are silicates of varying compositions; the silica combined with such bases as Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, sodium, and Aluminum. Asbestos bodies appear as golden brown or beaded rods with a translucent center. The fibers are insoluble.
Exposure of asbestos causes fiber inhalation. Fine dust deposits in alveoli inside the lungs. Asbestos then causes a type of cancer called mesothelioma (a deadly tumor) involving mesothelial tissues or cells of the lungs, stomach, and abdominal organs.
A View of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer of the Pleura (lung cancer) and Peritoneum (abdomen cancer). Mesothelioma has a strong association with the crocidolite variety of asbestos.
Pleural mesothelioma, the most common manifestation of asbestos exposure, is well-circumscribed plaques of dense collagen, often containing calcium.
Peritoneum mesothelioma may or may not contain asbestos bodies, and rarely occurs in persons with no history or evidence of asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma not only occurs in people who had asbestos exposure but also to those living in the vicinity of the asbestos manufacturing process or those staying in asbestos-contaminated buildings. A Great Britain report showed an association between mesothelioma and people living within 1 kilometer of an asbestos factory.
The risk of mesothelioma is reportedly high in those cases with occupational exposure to asbestos combined with cigarette smoking. Mesothelioma usually does not appear until after 5 to 10 years of exposure.
Mesothelioma causes mechanical irritation, and in the advanced cases, there may be symptoms of clubbing of fingers and cardiac distress. The survival time of mesothelioma patients generally ranges from 12 months to 2 years of diagnosis, and very few survive longer than two years.
The following measures can be useful in preventing occurrences of asbestos exposure:
• Use of safer types of asbestos (chrysolite and amosite)
• Substitution of other insulators such as glass fiber, mineral wool, calcium silicate plastic foams
• Rigorous dust control
• Periodic examination of workers such as biological monitoring (clinical, X-ray, lung function)
The government should take adequate steps and make appropriate legislation to stop or minimize the case of asbestos exposure mesothelioma.
If you or anyone of your families or friends are suffering from mesothelioma, you have the legal right to file lawsuits for getting compensation for the medical facilities, loss of income, and pain. You can consult a qualified attorney for filing a mesothelioma lawsuit for compensation.
Legal Nurse Consultants: Backbone to the World of Risk Management – Newsletter Vol 3 2016
By Sandra Krug
Legal Nurse Consultants in the HITECH World of Risk Management
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ofl996 (HIPAA) instituted central national guidelines for security of protected health information (PHI). The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) instituted breach notification guidelines to provide transparency for those whose data may be at risk.
HITECH requires the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to audit covered entities and business associates for compliance with HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. In 2011 and 2012, OCR did pilot programs assessing processes of 115 covered entities to comply with HIPAA. OCR then assessed effectiveness of the programs.
Using evaluation results, in continued effort to assess compliance, OCR announced phase 2 has started, which will audit covered entities and business associates. OCR is creating improved sets of instructions to be used in audits and engaging a new approach to examine the efficacy of evaluating compliance efforts of the HIPAA regulated industry
The OCR states, “Audits are an important compliance tool for OCR that supplements OCR’s other enforcement tools, such as complaint investigations and compliance reviews.” Auditing covered entities allows OCR to “proactively uncover and address risks and vulnerabilities to protected health information.
If you find this newsletter helpful, please share it with colleagues, or direct them to our website.
Asbestos disease proven to be devastating to the victim
By Sandra Krug
An Overview Of Asbestos Disease – Mesothelioma
Asbestos disease, mesothelioma cancers, lung cancers, and asbestosis are diseases caused because of asbestos exposure.
What Is Asbestos?
Asbestos constitutes different naturally occurring fibrous minerals in some rocks and soil. It has found widespread use in industries and building materials such as fireproofing, roofing shingles, electric insulation, furnace, hot pipe covering, and friction products.
Recent studies have, however, revealed that exposure to asbestos can have damaging health implications resulting in asbestos disease and mesothelioma for both workers in industries making use of asbestos as well as those who live in the environment surrounding such places.
Workers may inhale fine asbestos particles in the air; they also become exposed through skin contact with asbestos or by swallowing asbestos fibers while at work. These workers are vulnerable to asbestos diseases as mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Serious Effects Of Asbestos Disease- Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is the most serious of several asbestos-related diseases detected so far. This is because of the carcinogenic effect of asbestos particles. Asbestos can cause cancer of the lungs, esophagus, colon, rectum, stomach, vocal cords, and kidneys.
About 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases of asbestos disease mesothelioma – a rare type of cancer of the mesothelium, the membrane that covers and protects most of the body’s internal organs – are the result of asbestos exposure at work.
Asbestos disease mesothelioma may not immediately manifest. The asbestos particles can lie dormant in the body for several years and manifest later when the prognosis is very grim. It is possible that by the time the disease is diagnosed, cancer may have already spread significantly.
In view of health concerns, all new uses of asbestos in the manufacturing industries have been banned in the United States from July 1989 onward. In particular, the use of asbestos in hand-held hair dryers was voluntarily stopped in 1979. Schools are required to test for use of asbestos roofing and it is removed or covered up.
Compensation To Victims Of Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma
The first case of asbestos disease mesothelioma was filed nearly 70 years ago. Employees in industries with considerable risk of asbestos poisoning are, in principle, eligible for mesothelioma compensation. The compensation is available only for those employees who run the risk of asbestos exposure since the 1940s.
Recently, many mesothelioma patients have filed lawsuits for compensation. They have been awarded compensation on the ground that the owners of industries continued to use asbestos despite the information on the health hazards it entails. Currently, help is available to victims of asbestos disease mesothelioma through many specialized legal firms in the United States.
Excited about Joint Commission helpful, easy BoosterPaks – Newsletter Vol 2 2016
By Sandra Krug
Focus on valuable clues during case analysis with BoosterPaks
Joint Commission is an independent, nonprofit group that accredits and certifies 21,000 health-related businesses in the US. Their mission ”To continuously improve health care for the public in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value”.
Accreditation is granted to behavioral health, home health, hospitals, nursing homes, surgery centers, and physician offices. Certification is granted to services found within or associated with an organization. For instance, a Joint Commission accredited hospital may have certified services in cardiology. These programs can be in the hospital, or independent. The Gold Seal is known as a mark of excellence that indicates a company’s dedication to patient safety and quality health care.
I have been on a JCAHO prep committee. We knew it was key to make policy adherence second nature within the organization at all times. An area of interest, is how policy is implemented for each Standard. There are Universal Standards, but many ways each Standard is addressed at different facilities.
In December I read of Standards BoosterPaks, searchable documents that provide detailed information about standards that have been associated with a high volume of inquiries or non-compliance scores. They were established to address consistency of standard interpretation for accredited organizations and Joint Commission employees.
If you find this newsletter helpful, please share it with colleagues, or direct them to our website.
Mesothelioma lawyer for ironclad lawsuit of the victim
By Sandra Krug
When someone receives a diagnosis of mesothelioma, they may find that they need the help of a lawyer. The rate of this disease is increasing, and some lawyers are trying to settle cases for victims. They have stepped up for the rights of the people to help them with their situation.
All About a Mesothelioma Lawyer
Many victims of this disease need to have a mesothelioma lawyer to help them with their fight. These lawyers and law firms will deal with the victims and their families to help them claim the right compensation that they deserve from the companies that are responsible for their problems.
These lawsuits result in a lot of money being won by the families when the right lawyer or firm handles them.
Handling asbestos causes mesothelioma. Asbestos exposure comes from working in an environment affected by this toxic material or by someone contracted to remove it. Usually, workers are made aware of the dangers that can be caused by working with this type of material. However, some employers will allow little or no protection from the material when the employees are handling it. These workers are entitled to compensation for their damages.
Today there are many mesothelioma lawyers to choose from, and that may be right for you.
These lawyers deal with this type of lawsuit and know the correct way to handle it. Those people that are looking for a lawyer should choose someone with a good history and experience in this type of case. Most lawyers are happy to provide clients with information that may help you in deciding who to represent you. They will show past examples with the names deleted to show proof of their victory.
It is a good idea to find out if the mesothelioma lawyer that you are looking into has won any of their cases or not.
These elements can make all the difference when it comes to trying to find the right lawyer to help you with your situation. It is an excellent idea to do as much research as you can on the entire situation. You may be able to determine your future when you choose the right mesothelioma lawyer for you and your case.
It is difficult dealing with being sick from a preventable disease. Finding the right mesothelioma lawyer to help you in your fight against these companies is a good start. You will be fighting for something that means so much to a lot of people, and it will be worth it in the end.
If you find this blog helpful, please share it with friends and colleagues, or direct them to our website: LNCKRUG.com.
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