Show fium Trampolines: tihati can cripple physicians warn By CAROL NICHOLES Standard-Examin- er Staff ex- ploding into excruciating pain — that’s about all Kent Miller re- members about the trampoline accident that fractured his neck and temporarily ended his plans for schooling Lying in a bed at McKay-De- e Hospital where he was waiting to see if tests indicate surgery is needed Miller said he thinks “trampolines are dangerous — I really do — I don’t want my daughter jumping on them” Miller is no novice on the trampoline Clyde does a somersault on a trampoline owned by Mr and Mrs Walter Mosher of 6196 S 2155 E The Moshers say Sonja Evans 11 MuellerStandard-Exomin- er that during their three years of ownership no one has been injured while jumping on the device s s j t 'S S' S' s $ x 'vy “I must have somersaulted at least 100 times before” he said explaining at the time of the accident he wasn’t thinking of much except showing off his jumping skills Miller’s injury is similar to others across the country now being reported in medical journals said Dr Wesley H Anderson an Ogden pediatrician However commercial dealers deny the trampoline is dangerous and claim that if the rules are followed jumping on one is no more hazardous than any other sporting activity A short time ago Miller said his niece was also injured while performing a somersault But her injuries were less serious and she has since recovered Anderson said physicians are concerned because of the severity of the injuries A number of cases of quadrip-legi- a from severed spinal cords are being reported he said “and this means permanent paralysis” He has treated two patients with injuries one with trampoline strained muscles of the chest and the other with a severed spinal cord The latter patient he said “had to be fed with a tube because he couldn’t swallow and died after two years” Glen Ogden neurosurgeon of his cases Church described one in which an expert trampolinist’s injury resulted in quadriplegia : “This man will never use his hands arms or legs again or walk or feed himself” Church said adding that the cost of the patient’s care over a lifetime of disability will amount to thousands of dolDave a similar trampoline somersault resulted in a broken neck for Kent Miller 377 W 4800 S who wound up immobilized in a But hospital bed He his injuries is LaBelleStandard-Examirte- r waiting for tests to determine the full extent of But injuries from landor falling off the traming wrong poline are also being reported Dr Carl Mattson an orthopedic surgeon said most injuries are to the elbows knees legs and feet “Some of the worst elbow injuries I’ve treated have come from trampolines” he added The mounting toll of injuries has prompted the American Academy of Pediatricians to issue a set of guidelines for use of the trampoline during a carefully controlled assessment period Included is the suggestion that it be banned as a part of routine physical education classes in competitive sports and in home or reless-serio- An exhilararating somersault lars Medical journals note most injuries to the spinal cord result from improperly executed somersaults 1 us creational settings Brent Allen an employee of American Playworld and also a special education teacher at Wahl-quiJunior High School said the trampoline is not as dangerous as skiing “Studies prove that it is not as dangerous as bicycle riding because the bicyclist has to worry about cars” he said Allen said the trampoline is meant for one person at a time and that most accidents occur when the rules aren’t followed He suggested that the trampoline should be fitted with safety pads which cover the springs Barry Mower owner of American Play World said “anything you do can be dangerous — the thing is to look at the benefits” The trampoline helps develop skill and agility he said Dickson Pitcher of Pitcher’s Gymnastics said some doctors advise trampoline jumping because of its total exercise capabilities “It exercises all of the muscles in the body at once” he said Dr Lindsay R Curtis a retired obstetrician and gynecologist who recently purchased several trampolines for his grandchildren said “we have five children and always had a trampoline when they were growing up There have been some minor injuries but no back injuries or fractures” st Mattson said a study of 35 Indiana residents paralyzed by spinal cord injuries during the past have years caused that state to ban the trampoline in home and school settings “It is now used only at unive- rsities or other places with he said specialized personnel” “We advise that trampolines not be used at home at all” Mattsson said POLITICAL PARTIES ORGANIZE Utah GOP Demos elect new leadership lambaste opponents By ROBERT Standard-Examin- L Charles W Akerlow of Salt Lake City a ANDERSON Staff er SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Republicans and Democrats organized in conventions Saturday electing new leaders and doing g some partisan Both conventions focused as freshman Sen Orrin Hatch the Republicans calling while the Democrats for his labeled him “arrogant” and charged he only has a narrow base of support If anyone is arrogant Republican leaders said it’s House Speaker Thomas P (Tip) O’Neill Jr who has fought against President Reagan’s programs aimed at slashing federal spending and cutting taxes Who will run against Hatch? Ariz Gov Bruce Babbitt drew cheers from Democrats as he said he hoped forGov Calvin L Rampton mer three-terwould decide to come out and “smite Hatch” down (Rampton says he is undecided whether to leave his law practice and campaign for the US Senate) Both conventions were the Republicans meeting in the Salt Palace and the Democrats convening at name-callin- re-electi- on m well-attend- ed Cottonwood High School Republicans elected by acclamation real estate developer chairman Jan Mackey of Provo vice chairperson incumbents Larry B Lunt secretary and G Preston Parker treasuer both of Salt Lake City Outgoing officers chairman William A Stevenson and vice chairperson Georgia Jensen of Ogden did not seek In the only Republican contest Steve Handy of Layton and Renee H Nolan of Provo were elected chairman and vice chairperson respectively for the First District Congressional campaign They defeated Ruby Price of Layton who sought the district’s chairmanship and J Robert Creer of Spanish Forkfor vice chairman Democrats elected without opposition Michael Miller of Salt Lake City drug and food store chain executive chairman Janet Prazen of Price vice chairperson and state Rep Beverly White of Tooele secretary Former Weber County Democratic chairman Nick Babilis pulled out of the race for treasurer at the last minute in favor of Dolly Plumb of Salt Lake City who won the job Miller lost no time in tagging Hatch with the “arrogant” label accusing him of re-electi- on “trying to buy the election by raising million” $3 Hatch knows Miller alleged that the only way he can win a second term is to “buy the votes” But in the Salt Palace Hatch was wildly applauded by hundreds of his party’s delegates as he rebuked O’Neill for saying the Republicans are not compassionate Sen Jake Gam saying Hatch’s is vital to the state and the nation charged O’Neill is “still living in the 1930s his head is stuck in the sands of 1932 he’s arrogant dictatorial and the mostly blindly partisan of anyone in both houses and that’s why he’s getting beat” Republican National Chairman Richard Richards Ogden attorney spoke of the “tremendous personal power and strength of Ronald Reagan a man with sound six-ye- ar re-electi- on principles” Richards also said the election of Reagan is the beginning of a new political era as 40 years of Democratic rule that began with the election of Franklin D Roosevelt in 1932 has ended” Richards said the Republican Party is now the party of “the little guy of people who work for a living carry lunch buckets and wear blue collars” In his disagreement with O’Neill Hatch ployed On the Democratic side Miller said he expects a resurgence of popularity for his party because Republicans have abused the power they won in 1980 In his keynote address Babbitt said the Democrat Party must halt its reliance on “New Deal programs of Franklin D Roosevelt and the Great Society mentality fostered by Lyndon B Johnson The programs under those two administrations” Babbitt said “were so successful that we have a tendency to think we can solve problems by continuing that trend” He believes the mandate from voters last November indicated Democrats were not addressing the issues — inflation size of the federal government and America’s role in the international balance of power However he urged Democrats to maintain their traditional commitment to “social justice and economic opportunities for all Americans” This position Babbitt said will result in the party regaining its strength Weber psychiatric patients await outcome of Medicaid battle By BENJAMIN READ Standard-Examin- er Staff Mental health officials and mental patients in Weber County are closely watching a legal battle in the US District Court for Utah at Salt Lake City Several psychiatric patients in Salt Lake County have filed suit to prevent the Utah Department of Health from cutting that Medicaid reimbursements to facilities care for the chronically ill Federal Judge David Winder has continued the hearing on the Medicaid suit until Monday after having listened to nearly four hours of arguments Friday If the Salt Lake patients seeking an injunction against the severance of reimbursement payments win their court battle at least 23 psychiatric patients in Weber County people would be affected Medicaid funds earmarked for the care of psychiatric patients will be abolished on July 1 unless the federal court intervenes Nursing homes and hospitals that house those psychiatric patients have indicated they cannot afford to provide care without Medicaid support If patients are forced out by the funding cuts the Weber Mental Health Center would then attempt to relocate them in other facilities While the mental health unit is not obligated to aid in the relocation it will do so on “moral and ethical” grounds director Doug Conrow said Medically indigent patients will continue to receive federal funds for their care which are processed by the state Department of Health But on the heels of action in several other states and cuts in the Medicaid allocations that come to Utah the Department of Health decided to distinguish between medical and psychiatric patients The court is expected to decide whether the state can validly make that distinction for the purpose of reimbursements If an injunction is issued Medicaid funds will probably be authorized for chronic Republican Congressman James asked what is compassionate about thousands of programs that don’t work except to keep the bureaucrats going? He said people have told him they can’t afford to work because of the benefits from programs that make it easier to remain unem- psychiatric care until the case is resolved The suit was filed because the Legislature cut $105 million from the state’s Medicaid budget leaving the Department of Health how to administer the cuts “Salt Lake County is not a participant nor are we what we are is hopeful” Con-rosaid Although the court could word an injunction to include only the plaintiffs who brought suit Conrow said Medicaid payments would probably be continued for all psychiatric patients in the state if the Salt Lake patients prevail' The Weber Mental Health Center is responsible for the various therapies in which psychiatric patients participate while Medicaid funds have been used for board and lodging costs Without Medicaid support patients — most of whom have been diagnosed as schizophrenic — could qualify for housing in state hospitals But those facilities are full and center officials like Kirby Potter have been assigned to find alternative lodging w Potter said that in addition to -- Han- sen of Farmington said he will make no decision on the fate of the MX missile system until the Townes Commission publishes its independent findings on the location of and alternatives Rep Dan Marriott of the Second District said he dosen’t think all Democratic congressmen are bad He singled out the conservative “boll weevils” of the House “the conservative courageous Democratic congressmen’’ from the South who voted with Republicans in a close victory for Reagan’s budget and tax commitments Another Utah Republican Secretary of Education T H Bell told his party’s delegates that he is progressing in the dismantling of his department and expects to have the job done by January when he wants to return to Utah to ski Reagan is a great man who doesn’t' change his mind every Monday morning Bell said adding “We know where he stands” Hatch the secretary said gets more publicity on the front pages of the New York Times and Washington Post than he does in Utah newspapers “But I guess you’re never a hero in your own hometown” Bell said 23 im- mediately affected patients another 13 people and perhaps other patients could find themselves without housing Most of the mentally ill patients have been assigned tentatively to new lodgings but Potter said that at least five patients remain without any place to go after July 1 If the county assumes responsibility for housing mentally ill patients Conrow said “That’s going to be a radical departure from the past We need to decide as a mental health center whether we will get involved in supporting those people” With strained budgets Conrow said that if Medicaid reimbursements are cut he will lobby the Utah Legislature to appropriate funds for the psychiatrically indigent In the meantime Commissioner Frank Maughan said he would try to convince state officials to do away with any distinction between psychiatric and medical patients since it costs the state less to house patients in county facilities Gunman robs filling station The Triangle Oil station at 3031 Harrison was robbed of $65 Friday night by a man armed with a small-calib- er handgun and who wore a nylon stocking over his face Ogden police reported Saturday James Erickson the night clerk at the station told police he had placed the $65 in a bag to be put in the safe and then placed the bag on a shelf under the cash register He said he walked into the back room and the robber apparently followed him in displaying a pistol and saying he wanted money Erickson said he told the robber the money was in the cash register and the bandit apparently tried several times to open the register with no luck The robber apparently found the money bag and left the station |