Week 9A Blog: Extended Definition of Classification and Division

Classification and Division occur in breakdowns of any particular subject.  The breakdowns assist the writer to place the material in sequential order for a more organized read.  In going back to my previous two blogs of The Importance of Extended Defintions will help explain classification and division.  As we search for answers, "Who is to blame for the deaths of innocent lives?"  Three questions we can start to examine by asking:

• Is it the New England Compounding Center's fault?
• Could it be the individual's immune system fault?  Not blaming the victim directly but the vulnerability of each person's immune system?
• The technique of the injection in which it was given to the patient? 

First question, the contamination site started within the pharmacy.  The importance of greed came first and the sterlization procedures were ignored and not followed through by the appropriate personnel.  Therefore, leaving room for terrible error on the pharmacist's behalf leading to hospitalization and deaths nationwide.  Some people may not know this but in majority pharmacies, pharmacy technicians compound the drugs and the pharmacists check the drugs and the required documentation of each compound that comes out of the labs.  Without the appropriate documentation or labeling another probability for error occured, the age of the drug.  Expiration dates are mandatory because the drug loses its capabilities or particles start to form, causing the drug to be unsafe.  In the end, the release of the drug to the public is at the hand's of the pharmacist, he/she is legally held responsible to any error that may occur.
Second question, the age of the patient plays a major role on the individual's immune system.  The older one exists the more vulnerable the immune system coexists.  The drug, methylprednisolone acetate is a steroid which suppresses the immune system.  The combination of a steroid and a pathogen given to already a weak immune system proves deadly.
Third question, what technique(s) was performed in giving the epidural injection?  The epidural site happens to be a crucial site for an injection, especially if not given from a licensed practioner.  Malpractice happens in some doctor's office without the patient's knowledge.  The patient enters into the office trusting that he/she's well-being comes first, but when policies are ignored and an unlicensed individual is given the needle to inject the patient, malpractice arises.  So can we blame the doctor, the office policies, or the individual who gave the injection?
Looking back to the original three questions, is it the New England Compounding Center's fault?Could it be the individual's immune system fault? Not blaming the victim directly but the vulnerability of each person's immune system?  The technique of the injection in which it was given to the patient?  Each main question reflects as a main heading which divides into the explainations and breakdown the material for the reader to follow through the entire article.

Blog Week 8B: Definitions Part II

From my previous blog, I entailed a quick summary on how extended definitions place importance for the readers.  Here are three phrases within the article I will demonstrate extended definitions to include the reader in the reading.

"The case count and death toll are still rising — 205 cases and 15 deaths in 14 states — and more are expected. The drug has been recalled, but the incubation period can stretch to 43 days or more. Some patients exposed before the recall may fall ill in the next few weeks or even months."  The 'incubation period' is the act of keeping an organism culture in a conditions for favorable for growth and development.  Meaning a higher chance for more cases to present themselves, because the fungus needs time to grow within the human being before first sign symptoms start to show. 

 

"Individual differences in immune systems and the ability to fight off infection also probably played a role. By and large, the people who received these injections were healthy. But they tended to be middle-age or older — when spine problems often occur — and the immune system does become less robust with age."  'Age' plays a humongous difference on a person.  The older one is the more vulnerable their immune system and spinal problems are affected.

"A needle that went too far in could have nicked the dura and let the fungus into the spinal fluid, from which it could then have easily traveled to the brain. Doctors say that meningitis cannot occur unless the dura is somehow breached."  The 'dura' is the membrane that surrounds the spinal cord and brain.  If the dura is penetrated by an experience or a non-licenced individual can increase the chances of the fungus infecting the patient and cause death.

I have demonstrated the extended definitions of these three phases.  Hopefully it leaves the reader with a better understanding and comprehension of the article. 

Blog Week 8A: The Importance of Definitions

Do you ever wonder why some readings are more complexed than others?  Perhaps it is our reading level or perhaps it is our lack of understanding certain words.  I personally maintain my iPhone close to me when reading a novel, an article, and even a newspaper.  An iPhone or a dictionary, two wonderful references to look up the meaning of words that 'we' are not sure of.  Looking up words and the definitions give us a better comprehension of what we are reading.  Definitions help keep the audience's attention and increases their knowledge of words individuals may lack.  There are key patterns of definitions in which a person must know, such as exemplification, description, compare and contrast, process, and classification and division.  In the following article I will demonstrate the patterns of a "process" and a "description."

I previously read an insidious article posted in The New York Times, pertaining to contaminated methylprednisolone injections that were compounded in a compounding pharmacy, called the New England Compounding Center, located in Framingham, Massachusetts.  Methylprednisolone acetate is a steroid in which is injected near the spinal cord for back and neck injuries in order to soothe inflamed and irritated nerves.  Death is occuring because the result of the fungal contamination causing an outbreak of a unique form of meningitis.  The articles in depth description entails the order of the occurances leading up to the fatalities.  New England C.C. compounded the drug in bulk and shipped the product to seventy-five pain clinics in twenty-three states. Because of the drug shortages compounding pharmacies are allowed to alleviate the demand locally but not to become a miniature version of a major drug-maker cooperation.  The reason behind the bulk production stands behind the savings of currency for the doctors' offices.  The contaminated drug gets injected into the patient's epideral site sending the meningitis straight for the brain.  The pharmacy is mainly to blame, but there lies unanswered questions inside the physician's offices as well, for example "who administered the drug into the injection site?"  Are they legally qualified?  Injecting in that particular complexed area, was there a fluoroscopy (a medical device to help tract the needle to ensure it does not penetrate the spinal membrane) used?  In this causing death for the patient.  Throughtout the article demonstrates the descriptive process of an innocent patient's suffers and dies over greed, recklessness, and lack of policies. Article is called, "Steroid Shot Near Spine Gives Illness an Opening," by Denise Grady.

Blog Week 7A -- AdVaTaNgEs Of ViSuAl RhEtOrIcAL TOoLs

The billboard that post, "60 seconds wait time at InterMountain Emergency Hospital" is posted on a busy intersection highway.  Grabs a driver's attention for at the minimum a couple of seconds.  Enough time to take in and comprehend, especially at a time of emergency.  The visual would consist of "a man's hand that is wrapped up in a guaze, which needs immediate attention," to go with the quick and easy text message would completely capture the viewer's attention.  In the following, I will list some examples of visual rhetorical tools.
The first basic rhetorical tool, compare and contrast is a tool in which you compare similiarites and differences on a subject or a visual image.  Compare and contrast helps the viewer on higher-order thinking skills, such as, comparing, analyzing, organizing, and evaluating.  A second rhetorical tool would be considered as a 'political gaze' for instance with our democrats versus the republicans.  When you think of Obama, at this present moment, Romney comes to mind.  The two names go together at this present moment.  A third tool, persuasive themes show through the imagery highlights specific themes that are high level and universal aiming to evoke feelings of nationalism, tradition, and nostalgia.  A fourth tool, master narratives, ,which are deep rooted in culture and context, enduring stories within particualar countries, regions, cultures or groups.  The fifth and final tool, are called, 'audience resonance and effects' providing meaningful signals regarding audience resonance and whether a particualar effect or impact has occured. 

Compare and Contrast: Understanding the Depth

Scientists say earth has been around for millions of years, but some people disagree and say thousands.  Either way the earth is built up of four basic elements, air, fire, earth, and water.  Air being primarily wet and secondarily hot.  Fire being primarily hot and secondarily dry.  Earth being primarily dry and secondarily cold.  Water being primarily cold and secondarily wet.  When comparing or contrasting these four elements they can not be one, without the other.  They all intertwine with one another, yet the forms of the elements are so different.  Compare and contrast helps us to figure out the similiarities and differences of an object, topic, ideas, or analogies.

The commerical that comes out late at night with the battered, sheltered animals and the Sarah McLaughlin song, "In The Arms of an Angel," playing in the background.  The music and images put together are heartbreaking for the viewer.  The idea behind the message is getting the viewer to donate money for the cause of battered pets.  The message is a harsh, cold reality and the organization places that upon the viewers in hopes to promote awareness of abused pets and raising money to fund the organization.  Therefore, the images are used to persuade and intrigue the viewers.  Visual rhetoric proves to assist compare and contrast in the writing process tremendously.