tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post7473354603486254908..comments2024-03-12T07:48:29.712+03:00Comments on Stories from the trauma bay: Bad journalismDocBastardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12224592098492491365noreply@blogger.comBlogger289125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-14740618862916499402016-10-07T09:07:09.176+03:002016-10-07T09:07:09.176+03:00Kate, the confusion here is due to the fact that t...Kate, the confusion here is due to the fact that the hospital team doesn't seem to be presenting a unified position that proves to the court (or to me,and certainly to the family) that they are truly of one mind regarding Allen's status.<br /><br />The doctor who performed the original brain death testing violated hospital SOP by not waiting until the effects of sedative medication had cleared Allen's system, per the hospital's own admission via the head of the neurology department. Then, that same doctor (head of neurology) *stated* that the EEG activity (which, as we know, is *not* relevant to the current commonly-accepted procedures for brain death testing) *proves* that Allen did not meet the MUDDA standard, since it shows that not "all" brain functions were gone. Though you, I, and many others reading here may not agree with this, the fact that the head of SVH's neurology department, upon whom the court would typically rely as a qualified medical expert in these situations, made these statements casts doubt on whether the SVH staff really has this all figured out. I'd have expected him to say something like, "Our current protocol for brain death testing conforms with standard procedures recommended by the American Academy of Neurology, in use by hospitals all over the USA," or something to that effect. Instead, he admitted that their testing doesn't follow the Montana law,and failed to vigorously defend the hospital's position. <br /><br />Understand that I mean no disrespect to the medical team members at St. Vincent's Hospital who have cared for Allen. I'm sure they made best efforts to deal with a challenging situation, which is perhaps one they haven't faced very often. But every team, and every hospital, has its core competencies and specialties, based on both the training and real-life experience of the staff. As in any profession, not *everyone* does *everything* well. The fact that they allowed Paul Byrne, who is neither a neurologist or even a physician licensed to practice in Montana, to consult on this case, and that they followed his treatment recommendations, suggests that the brain damage/brain death situations aren't what they do best. That's why I suggested that, though additional testing would be the best course of action for Allen and his family, this might best be handled elsewhere. <br /><br />Actually, additional testing at St. Vincent's is now probably a moot point anyway, since the family is now in the process of arranging Allen's move back to their home town of Conrad, where they've already identified a doctor to accept him into care. They are, per the family's FB update, awaiting their insurance's approval for a transfer to Pondera Medical Center (where their new doctor is a resident) for the brief stay that will be required for assessment and arranging the home care (finding nursing support). Maybe they will get some more consistent information, and a realistic assessment, from the care team there. Scarabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999961861218673544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-69737257647394148032016-10-07T03:49:47.510+03:002016-10-07T03:49:47.510+03:00Yes, prior to the test, not during the test. No w...Yes, prior to the test, not during the test. No where does it say the doctors saw him struggling. If he were reacting the test would have been aborted. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-16761905646712523152016-10-07T03:31:38.312+03:002016-10-07T03:31:38.312+03:00Scrab, what do you mean it needs to go beyond the ...Scrab, what do you mean it needs to go beyond the standard brain death routine? That IS the standard to determine it, and if that isn't good enough then they need to change the entire way of diagnosing brain death, which is what Dolan wanted from the beginning, which changes 'brain death' to show any little neuron firing anywhere in the brain to mean life which is IMHO ridiculous. I still think you need to reread the documents again. I'm not sure why you think this case is so special and different. <br /><br />Kate JAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-56744073726305020252016-10-07T02:49:10.652+03:002016-10-07T02:49:10.652+03:00I think the video is current. What would cause he...I think the video is current. What would cause her to balloon up? Lasacgalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11078484330461337501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-90349262237530433672016-10-07T02:29:32.218+03:002016-10-07T02:29:32.218+03:00Nailah could have a wig or weave on Jahi but she c...Nailah could have a wig or weave on Jahi but she can't add weight to her. The hairdresser pics show a very thin Jahi, regardless of hair. That makes this video even more suspect. If its recent then her body ballooned up and someone should figure out what that is!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-15162967383450383342016-10-07T00:50:24.632+03:002016-10-07T00:50:24.632+03:00The spontaneous breathing was documented in his ch...The spontaneous breathing was documented in his chart prior to the apnea test - not during, nor after the apnea test. The doctor does not testify that Alan was struggling to breathe during the test only Clint said that. Only on cross examination does the doctor state there was a blurb on the EEG - but as we know the EEG isn't used in brain death testing. The family and medical team would know what they are dealing with - by allowing additional testing. Lasacgalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11078484330461337501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-89694465760921934062016-10-06T06:06:45.758+03:002016-10-06T06:06:45.758+03:00I totally agree that additional testing should be ...I totally agree that additional testing should be done on Allen, to *accurately* determine the full extent of brain damage. But IMHO, it needs to go beyond the standard "brain death" routine of bedside exam and apnea test, and maybe St. Vincent's isn't the best place to do it. <br /><br />Scarabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999961861218673544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-33262145934204105682016-10-06T05:57:09.691+03:002016-10-06T05:57:09.691+03:00Sure, we know that family members searching for ev...Sure, we know that family members searching for even the smallest hint of what *might* be responsiveness from their loved ones sometimes "see what they want to see." But the information about Allen's breathing came from the hospital medical records, as given to the court (not just from the family). See Sec II, "Findings of Fact," in the court ruling.<br /><br />Scarabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999961861218673544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-48145459238688179022016-10-05T23:43:23.504+03:002016-10-05T23:43:23.504+03:00If you watch one of the recent videos, the camera ...If you watch one of the recent videos, the camera pans over to Jahi.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-56370508163703077782016-10-05T21:38:41.735+03:002016-10-05T21:38:41.735+03:00Scarab, they would not even attempt to do the brai...Scarab, they would not even attempt to do the brain death testing if he were taking breaths off the ventilator. I think you are listening to a family member seeing what isn't there. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-4477522594114013302016-10-05T15:50:32.986+03:002016-10-05T15:50:32.986+03:00In Allen's case, the court is seeing the apnea...In Allen's case, the court is seeing the apnea test as "medical treatment". In Miranda's case, the hospital is arguing that the apnea test itself is not "medical treatment" and therefore the parents' consent is not required. In Allen's case, I believe the testing should be permitted, so that the family and doctors know what his condition is and can proceed accordingly. Lasacgalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11078484330461337501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-38630645881763945992016-10-05T13:59:52.675+03:002016-10-05T13:59:52.675+03:00I hadn't watched the entire video because I th...I hadn't watched the entire video because I thought it was just the monitor so didn't see the end. I'll have to look again, thanks Scarab.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-59469917161038569252016-10-05T08:15:11.019+03:002016-10-05T08:15:11.019+03:00Re: Jahi's appearance - The whole video is mor...Re: Jahi's appearance - The whole video is more than 5 minutes long. Towards the end, Jahi's face is shown. I agree, this *could* be an older pic, since more recent ones showed hair loss. But considering Nailah's persistent interest in keeping up with Jahi's cosmetic procedures (hair and nails) this could also be a wig or a weave. <br /><br />Re: the breathing over the vent, there's no way for *us* to know if it's actually Jahi taking breaths "on her own," or if it's just auto-triggering of the vent, which was discussed earlier (Mary posted a link). This would have to be figured out by a respiratory therapist who was actually monitoring this over time. RT would need to make sure that the vent was properly adjusted to eliminate the possibility of mechanical error, and to see if there was actually some chest movement coinciding with the "breath" readings. Scarabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999961861218673544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-73680775205002114802016-10-05T07:48:26.595+03:002016-10-05T07:48:26.595+03:00@ Kate - The conflicting information is in medical...@ Kate - The conflicting information is in medical information presented by SVH, referenced in the court ruling (link in my post above). The spontaneous breathing and differing opinions of the docs regarding Allen's brain death status is included in that document. Scarabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999961861218673544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-87192031669078478892016-10-05T05:23:41.642+03:002016-10-05T05:23:41.642+03:00If it were true every news outlet would have been ...If it were true every news outlet would have been informed and they would be on every social media posting it and confirming and re-confirming it to prove the world wrong. They have still not backed up ANY of their claims. <br /><br />Kate JAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-9862677141250388112016-10-05T05:15:15.206+03:002016-10-05T05:15:15.206+03:00You are relying on information provided only by th...You are relying on information provided only by the family (Mr. Stone). I don't buy it till I see the medical documentation to back those claims up. This case appears no different to me than the others.<br /><br />Jahi's mom is still claiming her daughter is 'alive' and taking breaths on her own. Um....nope...she's not. Wishful thinking that will lead to more dollars in the end is all that is. <br /><br />Kate J.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-40729810554377103352016-10-04T23:00:15.150+03:002016-10-04T23:00:15.150+03:00If this is truly a new and real development where ...If this is truly a new and real development where are the medical experts willing to document it? Surely this would be unprecedented in brain death research. Maybe unprecedented is too feeble a word, it would be astounding.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-44730224610308586372016-10-04T22:52:29.032+03:002016-10-04T22:52:29.032+03:00What do you mean? The only thing visible in the la...What do you mean? The only thing visible in the latest video is part of the vent monitor.<br /><br />Someone left this comment on Professor Pope's link:<br /><br />"There are intermittent patient triggered breaths (range from 1 to 4 breaths per minute with pressure support 15 cm H2O) in addition to the mandatory ventilator delivered breaths (SIMV rate of 12 breaths per minute and a tidal volume 500 ml).<br />The sensitivity trigger for the intermittent pressure support breaths is flow dependent (2L/min). Some may argue that the heart beats can be potentially triggering these spontaneous breaths because the sensitivity trigger is flow dependent rather than pressure dependent. However, this is an unlikely explanation because if these 1- 4 additional breaths per minute are triggered by the airflow changes in the ventilator circuit from intrathoracic cardiac oscillations, then the triggered breaths should not be fluctuating with time (as shown in this video)."<br /><br />I don't know whether this is a plausible explanation or not. I wonder what a respiratory therapist makes of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-42326825511677184772016-10-04T17:42:21.195+03:002016-10-04T17:42:21.195+03:00I truly doubt that is a new video. I am basing my ...I truly doubt that is a new video. I am basing my comment on how she looked about a year ago when the hairdresser who braided her hair showed more decomposition on Jahi. I don't think you go from looking like that to looking more like she did when this whole thing started.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-11481743149374700822016-10-04T14:14:31.191+03:002016-10-04T14:14:31.191+03:00Professor Pope has posted a link to the newest Jah...Professor Pope has posted a link to the newest Jahi McMath video. He seems to give them the benefit of the doubt by stating in the headline that she is breathing on her own. He even put the term "brain death" in quotation marks just like Byrne and Shewmon.<br /><br />http://medicalfutility.blogspot.com/#!/2016/10/jahi-mcmath-breathes-on-her-own-nearly.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-86278458289531801312016-10-04T03:06:26.865+03:002016-10-04T03:06:26.865+03:00Hard to say how much of Byrne's theories they&...Hard to say how much of Byrne's theories they've embraced 100%, re: the apnea test being "deadly." From what was stated in the court documents, there were some *other* major concerns expressed about the testing, summarized in my earlier post here. <br /><br />Family is also reporting on FB that Allen has already been transferred to a "home" ventilator to prepare him for the move, and that he's no longer getting meds and supplements via IV, but just getting nutrition through the GI tube. They've also found a doctor in Conrad, MT who's agreed to accept Allen as his patient, after conferring with the doctor at SVH. Hopefully the local doc can help make the home health care connection. <br /><br />Just my non-medical opinion here, but... <br /><br />1. If Allen has *continued* to take spontaneous breaths over the vent fairly regularly since the accident, he never needed an apnea test anyway. <br /><br />2. If his condition is stable, and even "better," by the family's account, *without* those additional meds and supplements (Byrne's prescriptions for hormone replacements to manage functions lost to brain damage) there's still some level of brain function continuing. <br /><br />So...I'm not yet convinced, based on the info available to date, that Allen is truly "brain dead" in the medical sense.<br /><br />I'm thinking maybe Allen's brain suffered a lesser degree of oxygen deprivation than we've seen in the other cases we've followed. Though we don't know exactly how long he was under water, someone on site did perform CPR. But we don't actually know if there was a full cardiac arrest, or how long it lasted, since when paramedics arrived, they found pulse and sinus rhythm. So, they didn't need to use a defibrillator to get his heart going again. They just applied the bag-mask type ventilator to stabilize his breathing, and took him to the hospital. <br /><br />No doubt there has been some significant brain damage, and there's no way of knowing, right now, if there's any real capacity for improvement that might enable Allen to regain some level of consciousness and responsiveness. But this case seems much different from the others we've followed in recent times.Scarabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999961861218673544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-30073730129668401752016-10-04T00:24:56.147+03:002016-10-04T00:24:56.147+03:00They started looking for nurses a few weeks ago. ...They started looking for nurses a few weeks ago. I believe they live in a small town, so perhaps they are having difficulty in obtaining the care. Does that mean that the hospital has to continue treating a patient that they believe is deceased indefinitely? Lasacgalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11078484330461337501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-2210078517352630762016-10-03T18:01:27.858+03:002016-10-03T18:01:27.858+03:00The last I was able to find out, on FB's Prayi...The last I was able to find out, on FB's Praying for Allen page, is that the family is looking for nursing help at home. That page isn't updated very often.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10705955138750434562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-41934825507484640812016-10-03T14:56:40.368+03:002016-10-03T14:56:40.368+03:00What I don't understand - the Stones believing...What I don't understand - the Stones believing Byrne (sorry can't give him the distinction of calling him a doctor) over what hundreds of doctors believe regarding the apnea test. Mr Stone said he wanted information, instead he is hearing Byrne's rubbish. If the Stones really believe Byrne's rubbish, then let Byrne treat him at home and pay for it too. By the way, have the Stones taken Allen home yet? Mr Stone said they were waiting for the court's ruling- which they've now had for a week. Lasacgalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11078484330461337501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1809371631407381115.post-57947703769666033382016-10-03T07:33:06.318+03:002016-10-03T07:33:06.318+03:00Since Doc's original post that started this ve...Since Doc's original post that started this very l-o-n-g thread was titled "Bad Journalism," I figured it's time to get back on topic...<br /><br />https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/mother-intervenes-to-keep-brain-dead-montana-boy-alive<br /><br />As usual, the "facts" *aren't.* We have first-hand reports from Clint Stone (Allen's dad who's been with him every day), and doctor reports and medical record information from the court hearing. <br /><br />This article isn't really a story about Allen and his family. It's just another attempt to propagate the Paul Byrne conspiracy theory of "apnea tests kill people so that their organs can be harvested for transplant."<br /><br />While I respect the concepts of freedom of speech and thought, the lack of compassion this shows for the families of these children and teens who have suffered severe brain damage angers me. The "last* thing that parents need, when they're trying to sort out what's really happened to their child, and get *real* information that will allow them to figure out what needs to happen next, is someone whispering in their ear that the doctors are "trying to kill" their child to harvest organs. :(Scarabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999961861218673544noreply@blogger.com