Death •

Vehicles Recalled Due to Airbag Issue

May 29, 2016 By Chen Lai Leave a Comment

12 Million Vehicles Recalled Due to Takata Airbag Issues

Defective airbags forced eight automakers to recall another 12 million vehicles from the US market. This action against Takata airbags may be the largest auto safety measure taken in years.

For example, Fiat Chrysler recalled 4.3 million cars and Honda Motor Co recalled no more than 4.5 million vehicles. Fiat Chrysler will also recall almost 1 million vehicles sold outside the US.

The US government put pressure on the companies after tests have shown issues with the frontal and passenger-side inflators.

On impact, Takata inflators open with force and become unsafe for the persons inside the car. Moreover, simulations have shown that they can release metal shrapnel in the interior of the vehicle.

The defective inflators have been the cause of 13 deaths and at least 100 injuries.

The airbag manufacturer is Takata, a company from Japan. The vehicles in question are cars, SUVs, and pickups that have been built between 2002 and 2011.

The recalls are prioritized by the risk of exposure to high humidity and the age of the car. It will take several years for some owners to get replacements for the defective inflators.

Worldwide, 50 million vehicles were recalled due to this default in airbags. Even the Japanese authorities recently announced the recall of approximately 7 million vehicles from their local market.

These new measures were taken because of the increased pressure exerted by the US safety regulators. The unfortunate death in March of a teenage girl raised the attention to the Takata airbags again. Police said that the teenager would have survived if it weren’t for the defective inflators.

Automakers find it difficult to obtain replacement parts and to convince owners to get the needed repairs. Only 8.5 million airbags have been replaced so far, less than a half of the total.

As for Takata, the company has to pay a $70 million penalty for these safety violations. The US National Administration for Traffic Safety named a former federal prosecutor to verify the recalling process.

The Japanese company agreed to stop using the chemical substance involved in their defective products, and it is liable of more recalls if there will be proof that other vehicles face the same safety issues.

Takata is now under criminal investigation in the US and has multiple lawsuits filed by the state of Hawaii and by the Virgin Islands.

Image Source: Flickr

STDs, The ”Most Distinctive” Killers in New York, Study Says

May 16, 2015 By Deborah Nielsen Leave a Comment

Chlamydia and gonorrhea lead to the most “distinctive” killer in New York, a new research said. According to the study, pelvic inflammatory disease is the premier unusual cause of death in the Big Apple, according to a research published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

The infection of female reproductive organs, which is typically caused by sexually transmitted diseases, is responsible for killing more people in New York than in any other city in the country, according to the study carried out by employees at the New York Department of Health.The report, published Friday, reveals the most “distinctive” causes of death in the state and compares it to the national average. Common causes, such as cancer or heart disease, were excluded. Other unusual causes around the New York area include syphilis, septicemia and, also, intervention by law enforcement officers.

“I feel like there’s really almost 51 stories to tell with this. Many of these states have an idea of what’s going on and some are kind of mysterious, like New York,” study author Francis P. Boscoe told the Daily News. “.”

The death rate for PID in New York is more than double compared to the national average, at 6 deaths per 10 million, while 97 New York women lost their lives of PID between 2001 and 2010, said the researchers..

Around 1 million U.S. women contact PID every year, and teen girls are enduring the highest rate of infection, according to the study. There are no precise tests for it, and women probably do not even realize they have it, Some of the symptoms are fever, lower abdomen pain, a burning sensation during urination, pain during sex and unusual bleeding or vaginal discharge.

New Yorkers could be most affected considering their higher STD rates, explained Dr. David Samadi, chairman of urology at Lennox Hill Hospital. STDs are “overwhelmingly the leading” in the communicable diseases charts in New York, according to the Department of Health.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not mention PID can be fatal, the agency is listing it as one of the 113 causes of death. In 2013, the last year the data is available, 129 people died of it in the U.S.

Samadi added he’s never known of a patient dying of PID. But the disease can cause a lot of frustration and stress, which can lead to fatal problems, he explained. The disease can be cured with antibiotics if detected in its early stages, but can have long and lasting effects. One in eight women who contact it have problems getting pregnant.

Image Source: Great News

Rumors of Vladimir Putin’s Illness or Death Put to Rest

March 14, 2015 By Deborah Nielsen Leave a Comment

Having missed a week of engagements, rumors that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ill or had died were finally put to rest after the Kremlin released several photos. During his absence, people speculated that he was dealing with major health issues or had passed away but three images clearly show he is very much alive and well.

In the released photographs, Putin is seen meeting with the head of Moscow’s Supreme Court. In addition, Russia 24, which is the state broadcaster, aired their own video footage of the same meeting. While this development has put many people at ease, several news agencies to include CNN have not been able to independently confirm the meeting happened as indicated.

Dimitry Peskov, spokesman for the President, jokingly dispelled rumors of Putin’s ill health or death saying he was simply down because of spring fever.

In Peskov’s statement, he said that when the sun shines in the spring and people feel it in the air, the fever starts. He added that there are people who long for Sechin and the government’s resignation and that others have not seen Putin for several days on television but people in Russia are calm on the fever and are always patient when answering questions.

While speaking on Echo of Moscow, a country’s radio station, the people of Russia were urged not to be concerned, stressing that President Putin is perfectly fine. One caller asked if Putin’s handshake was firm to which Peskov comment it could break a hand.

Rumors about various country leaders are nothing new. Just this past fall, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, was said to be sick or dead after being out of the public eye for over a month. As with Putin, images of Jong Un were released to prove that he was fine although walking with the aid of a cane.

Regarding Putin, concerns arose following the postponement of a scheduled meeting in the Kazakh capital of Astana between him and presidents of Belarus and Kazakhstan. However, it was confirmed by Peskov that the meeting was only delayed, although no new date was provided.

According to the Kremlin press office, Putin has a planned meeting with Almazbek Atambayev, his Krygyz counterpart, in the city of St. Petersburg. The last time President Putin was seen in public was on International Women’s Day. However, he has attended several meetings since that time, something supported by still images posted on the Kremlin’s website.

NYC Police Reports: A Child Dies After Drinking Liquid Nicotine

December 15, 2014 By Rebecca McGhee 1 Comment

One year old baby died in Fort Plain, New York due to intake of liquid nicotine. The officials said that the refill bottle of nicotine was responsible for the child’s death.

Parents found the child unresponsive at home and immediately took him to the hospital. Sadly, doctors noticed that he was dead.

On the flip side, health authorities are quite worried after the incident. They stated that there are chances that other cases might emerge because of e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are battery operated devices which looks pretty similar to regular tobacco cigarette. It converts liquid nicotine into vapors inhaled by smokers. It is gaining popularity day by day among smokers. Unfortunately, the device does not come in child resistant packages. Hence, it is extremely dangerous for children.

Moreover, these e-cigarettes are now available in numerous colors and flavors which are pretty attractive for young children. These flavors and appealing colors can increase the death rates of children.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) informs that one teaspoon of liquid nicotine can easily take the life of a small child. However, much smaller quantities can give birth to several lethal diseases.

Regardless of this tragic accident authorities are unwilling to implement any rule for child safe packaging of e-cigarette.

A police spokesman expressed grief on the death of the child. However, he refused to accept the connection between e-cigarette and the death.

Marcia Strassman Died at the age of 66

October 27, 2014 By Brian Galloway Leave a Comment

Marcia Strassman, who was famous for her role in some of the popular 1970 sit com died at the age of 66.

The brilliant actress died on Fridya afternoon at her home which is situated in California. Strassman has been suffering from breast cancer for nearly seven years.

Fortunately, she lived more than the expectations of the doctors. Earlier, doctors stated that she can only live two and a half years.

Strassman played popular roles in sitcom like Welcome Back, Kotter and Mash.

Moreover, the American singer and actress also performed in some Disney Live action hit such as Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Honey I Blew up the Kid.

In a sitcom, she represented a wife of the lead character Gabe Kotter. Kotter came back to New York City High School as a teacher of a group of unruly students known as Sweathogs.

However, the Funeral services of Strassman are left. She wished for a funeral in which people make a donation for the cancer organization.

Losing Smell Sense May Lead to Earlier Death

October 2, 2014 By Germaine Hicks Leave a Comment

Recently, a report revealed by the U.S. researchers stating that, the losing ability to smell might be associated to the higher risks of death.

Researchers have studied more than 3,000 people aging 57 to 85 discovered that 39% of the patients, who failed in the smell test died within 5 years. Reuters reported, the findings of the study were published in the journal ‘Science’ PLOS ONE on Oct.1.

Dr. Jayant Pinto, the study’s lead author, told Reuters that, “A person with the normal sense of smell as compared to the one with absent sense of smell has 3 times higher chances of dying within the 5 years time span.”

Dr. Jayant Pinto is an associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago’s medical department.

He further stated that, “Te sense of smell actually indicates your overall health status.”

39% of the patients, who passed away within the time period of 5 years, scored less in the smell test, creating 4 or 5 errors. This is comparable to the 19% with the moderate sense of smell and just above 10% with good sense of smell, creating 0 to 1 errors.

The odor in the test included rose, leather, peppermint, fish and orange. Those people who have poor sense of smell are at the greatest risk and for this purpose other factors such as age, nutrition; smoking habits and poverty are considered.

The loss of the sense of smell is like the canary in the coal mine. It did not directly cause death, but it’s a portent, and just an early warning that something has gone wrong said by pinto. Scientists are doing more research to study this link and they conclude that losing the ability to smell means less regeneration and cell repair in the body and a poor sense of smell is a reflection of lifetime’s experience to bugs and pollution.

A consultant head and neck surgeon who is the honorary secretary of ENT UK, Nirmal Kumar an organization for ear, nose and throat specialists, says that, people losing their sense of smell should not panic; the study was motivating but questioned the consistency of the smell test used.

Categories