August 2010 Archives

The Los Angeles Times reports that on Wednesday authorities raided the office of a Rowland Heights, CA, doctor suspected of improperly prescribing narcotics to patients. Her practice has been linked to at least eight overdose and suicide deaths in recent years.  Officials have suspended Dr. Lisa Tseng's license to prescribe controlled substances, calling her "an imminent danger to public health and safety." An affidavit supporting the search of her office specifies two overdose deaths that federal authorities tied to her office. Autopsy reports reviewed by The Times and interviews indicate Tseng was a prescribing physician in six other cases.

Medical expert Dr. James L. Gagne reviewed Tseng's prescribing habits for authorities and concluded that it is "inconceivable that the pattern of prescriptions that he reviewed comes solely from the legitimate practice of medicine." The expert was " 'almost certain' that in most of the cases that he reviewed, Tseng is prescribing drugs to addicts or drug dealers without a legitimate medical purpose," according to the affidavit, which added that Gagne had said he would have to review Tseng's patients' charts to know for sure.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/.

Asbestos contaminated dirt piles have been removed from the Denver Federal Center property in Denver, Colorado. The asbestos was discovered in several large mounds of earth, as a result of past excavation and demolition work, reports Environmental Expert.  In order to make the property safer, the mounds were removed. With the material removed, the property may be developed. The Colorado Department of Health managed the removal.

The dirt piles were tested before being disturbed. This testing allowed for the proper excavation and disposal procedures to be put in place. By following regulations, workers were kept safe.  “Testing for asbestos before beginning any remodeling or construction activity if there is suspect material is essential...A simple test is all that is needed so that both area residents and workers are not exposed to asbestos fibers,” noted Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President at EMSL Analytical.

Read more: mesothelioma.com.

Omar Khadr's war-crimes trial will be delayed for at least 30 days, following an unexpected medical situation involving his U.S. lawyer. The Pentagon alleges Khadr threw a grenade during a July, 2002, firefight that fatally wounded Delta Force soldier Christopher Speer and is the only captive charged with murdering a soldier in Afghanistan.

 

Psychology expert Dr. Stephen Xenakis is one of the court-approved medical experts granted access to Khadr over the last few years. He has spent more than 100 hours meeting with the Toronto-born captive and is considered an important witness for the defense.  Xenakis is 62 and a retired army brigadier-general.

 

Read more: thestar.com.

An expert witness for prosecutors in carbon monoxide deaths in Aspen told investigators that whoever installed the boiler exhaust pipes in the home where a family died was “reckless” because of the poor quality of the work, according to a police report. The Pitkin County Sheriff's Office enlisted the services of Mark Passamaneck of Entropy Engineering Corp. of Wheatridge in December 2008 to examine the boiler system in the house at 10 Popcorn Lane, just east of Aspen's city limit.

He was recommended to the sheriff's office by Source Gas as a third-party expert. Entropy Engineering's website said the firm provides forensic expert witness, reconstruction and analysis of issues involved in engineering.  Passamaneck examined the utility room in the house with Deputy Brad Gibson on Dec. 4, 2008, and reported “that he found several items there were irregular,” Gibson's report said.

Read more: postindependent.com.