Thursday 4 June 2009

Protect Your Brain - More Ladder Falls



Window washer working in Oakland falls 25 feet: A window washer working in Oakland this morning was taken to a hospital after falling 25 feet, authorities said. Paramedics took the unidentified man, 25, to UPMC Presbyterian in Oakland, a Pittsburgh police dispatcher said. The man was washing windows at building on Melwood Street about 9:30 a.m. when he fell, the dispatcher said. The man was conscious and alert when medics arrived, but his condition was not immediately available, the dispatcher said.



Ladders Among Top Causes of Brain Injury, Minneapolis: Chances of a brain injury increase with every rung. This simple message recently traveled through downtown Minneapolis, affixed to 10-foot industrial ladders and pushed by teams of DIY painters. This is the way Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) was continuing its public awareness efforts to highlight the need for prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Ladders were used to call attention to the leading cause of TBI – falls, and to remind the public that summertime projects like painting, window-washing, cleaning or remodeling become dangerous activities if not done safely. This was the case in the recent death of Paul Schmeling, a River Falls, Wis., pastor who never regained consciousness after falling from a ladder while doing yard work over the Memorial Day weekend. According to HCMC, the busiest Level 1 Trauma Center in the state, falls from ladders account for more than 17,000 brain injuries a year nationwide. Three teams of “average Joe and Jane” painters – with paint buckets and smocks – were spotted pushing ladders throughout downtown, and several more ladders were set up in front of the IDS Center on Nicollet Mall along with a “Brain Bar” – an educational kiosk staffed by HCMC’s brain injury specialists. Visitors to the Brain Bar had the opportunity to learn more about their brain and the impact that TBI can have on it, as well as get answers to their questions from HCMC’s brain injury experts present at the event.
One of the campaign’s main elements is its website – savethisbrain– which allows people to take a closer look at how their brain works and makes them who they are. Visitors can “build their own brain,” save it to an online gallery and share their brain with friends. The website also provides information about the signs, symptoms and treatment of TBI, as well as tips for keeping your brain safe. Created with Minneapolis agency Russell Herder, the “Save This Brain” campaign launched last fall and continues this summer with event appearances at the Great River Energy Bike Festival Expo on June 12; the Minnesota State Fair’s Kid’s Day on August 31; the Minneapolis Bike Tour on September 20; and the Walk for Thought in Como Park on September 26. About Traumatic Brain Injuries
Each year, more than 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). That’s one every 23 seconds! Among children and young adults, TBI is the leading cause of death and disability. In Minnesota, over 15,000 new traumatic brain injuries occur annually and 100,000 Minnesotans live with a disability caused by a brain injury. A large percentage of new injuries are mild to moderate cases and many go untreated. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, Hennepin County Medical Center admits more than 700 patients with traumatic brain injuries each year and has inpatient and outpatient programs for both adult and pediatric TBI patients. For more information about the Traumatic Brain Injury Center and for fall prevention and ladder safety tips, visit hcmc.org.
About Hennepin County Medical Center Hennepin County Medical Center is a nationally recognized Level 1 Trauma Center with the largest emergency department in Minnesota. The comprehensive academic medical center and public teaching hospital includes a 446-bed acute care hospital and primary care and specialty clinics located in downtown Minneapolis, and four primary care clinics in Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County. For the twelfth year in a row, Hennepin County Medical Center is listed in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of the top U.S. Hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” report.



Man dies after 20ft flats plunge: A man has died in hospital after plunging 20ft from a first-floor window. The 49-year-old was discovered outside a block of flats in Steward Crescent, Marsden, South Shields, at 8.45am, yesterday. A window cleaner spotted him lying in the communal garden area and asked neighbours Kenneth and Moira Foster, who live opposite the flats, to call for help.

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