A frequent cause of childhood injury and death is airway obstruction. Children under the age of four (4) are at significantly higher risk for airway obstruction. According to data compiled from 2005, there were over 19,000 emergency department visits due to airway obstruction, with kids under the age of four (4) comprising eighty-eight percent (88%) of those visits. Young children are significantly more likely to die from such injuries than older children and adults. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=airway-obstruction–injury-statistics-and-incidence-rates-90-P02970
Knowledge of the most frequent causes of choking and airway closures should be part of any pediatric plan. The most common causes of childhood choking include balloons (most common of all the causes), food pieces being too large and obstructing the airway, window blinds – the cords used for shades and drawstring clothing (such as a hoodie) that can become entangled in various ways, including on the edge of playground equipment or slides. Every family should be aware of this information, to avoid the unnecessary risk of airway closure and/or choking.
A Michigan native who graduated from both Michigan State University and Cooley Law School, Mr. Weidenfeller has limited his practice of law to representing individuals who have been permanently injured and families who have lost a loved one as the result of medical errors for more than 20 years. In that time, he has been featured on the cover of Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly and has spoken to many and varied professional groups about trial practice and effective communication.
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