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This is what many of us have hashed out regarding the medical issues.
PRINCIPAL DIAGNOSIS:
CARDIAC ARREST (APPROPOS AFTER YOU ARE SMOTHERED)
LIKE DUHHH..HEART EVENTUALLY STOPS AFTER NO AIR TO THE BRAIN AND ORGANS.

SECONDARY DIAGNOSIS
ANOXIA.
RESPIRATORY FAILURE;
CONVULSIONS

IF Terri Schiavo had a conversation with her husband regarding life support measures after an accident, this alleged conversation took place prior to her collapse in 1990. A G tube was not considered life support at that time, and in many medical quarters, is not considered life support at the present time.

During the course of my career, a G tube has never been defined as a life supporting measure. Therefore, we do not know whether Terri would consider a G tube life support, nor do we know her true desires in this situation. Judge Greer is basing his decisions in this case on his own personal feelings, and the words of a husband who has been abusive, neglectful, and has a definite conflict of interest. This is blatant abuse of power.

I question why LE never followed up with suspected abuse upon Terri's initial admission into the hospital. LE is to uphold the laws. They have failed Terri. This girl was fine when she went to bed. In the event of a cardiac crisis, multiple bone fractures are impossible, unless she was behind the wheel of a car, or fell off a two story building. You tell me why this girl has extensive injuries.

A cardiac event shows specific cardiac enzymes, which are elevated, and stay elevated for a period of days, gradually decreasing. Doc Hammesfahr denies elevated cardiac enzymes. Therefore, this girl had an hypoxic/anoxic episode. Brought on by what? If there was no trauma, you tell me what caused the O2 deprivation leading to brain injury. You tell me what caused the multiple fractures this girl sustained.

An elevated blood sugar and low potassium do not add up either. Diabetics out of control are admitted with blood sugars in the 700-800 range, and are aware, walking, and able to communicate. A low potassium will not cause a heart attack if the individual has a healthy heart with no cardiac history. If you factor in the paramedics actions, they run a D5W or D10W bolus, which elevates the blood sugar, thus diluting the potassium. This action will not cause a heart attack, stroke, or any other cardiac crisis.

Since Michael Schiavo has said he has no money left, as he spent it on lawyer fees to kill his wife, which was condoned by Judge Greer, the obvious solution would be transferring guardianship to Terri's biological family. Yet, the boy is adamantly opposed to this course of action. He wants to get on with his life, but only after he kills his current wife. Divorce is another option that he refuses to pursue. This boy's aberrant behavior is suspicious, at the very least. I cannot accept this boy's strong desire to kill his wife under these circumstances.

I suggest you all familiarize yourselves with PVS. There has been long standing controversy regarding the diagnosis and prognosis, since 1972. If the medical experts cannot agree, why is the Florida court system hell bent on killing this woman? According to one study, PVS has a misdiagnosis rate of 43%. That is a high rate of mistakes.

Pray relentlessly.
And contact Bernie McCabe and Wolfson.

Thank you for your very succinct and well-informed post. Many of these issues have been brought up here at FR over the past months. Many of us who have been following this for a while are familiar with what a diagnosis of PVS entails. And the high rate of misdiagnosis of PVS. How could there have been progress made in early therapy if she is PVS? So many things just don't add up it just makes me want to throw things when I think of how Terri has been treated by her no-good HINO and the so-called "justice system" in Florida. I hope this push for a grand jury investigation gains legs. So many avenues have been tried and resulted in nothing but denials and coverups.

"A low potassium will not cause a heart attack if the individual has a healthy heart with no cardiac history. If you factor in the paramedics actions, they run a D5W or D10W bolus, which elevates the blood sugar, thus diluting the potassium. This action will not cause a heart attack, stroke, or any other cardiac crisis".

Where'd you get your RN- a box of Crackerjacks??

Potassium is essential to maintaining a normal heart rhythm, and is responsible for the conduction of nerve impulses and muscle contraction. The ratio of potassium outside the cell to that inside the cell maintains polarity, allowing an electrical charge to conduct along a row of cells, causing the heart to beat.

Small changes in the potassium concentration outside cells can have substantial effects on the activity of nerves and muscles. This is particularly true of the heart muscle. Low levels of potassium cause increased activity (which can lead to an arrhythmia), whereas high levels cause decreased activity. Either situation can lead to cardiac arrest.

Normal serum potassium levels are between 3.5 mEq/L and 5.2 mEq/L. When potassium levels drop below 3.5 mEq/L the risk of heart arrhythmias increase correspondingly and rapidly. At 3.3 mEq/L the risk of heart arrhythmias and cardiac arrest increases by a factor of 100 times. Below 3.3 mEq/L the incidence of dangerous arrhythmias and carciac arrest increase exponentially for every .05 mEq/L decrease in serum potassium.

Terri Schiavo's serum potassium level upon admission was less than 2.5 mEq/liter, virtually assuring arrythmia, (ventricular fibrillation) and subsequent arrest.

The presence of elevated cardiac enzymes can be indicitive of an impending MI or can be a result of an MI. This elevation of cardiac enzymes results from damage the the cardiac muscle tissue. In the case of sudden cardiac arrest without the presence of damaged cardiac tissue there may in fact be NO elevated cardiac enzymes either before of after the arrest. MI yes- sudden cardiac arrest, no. There is infact a difference between a cardiac arrest (especially one attributable to electrocution or electrolyte imbalance) and a heart attack.

As for as "diluting" the serum potassium- this is staggeringly funny. The potassium is already critically low and you want to make it lower still? The administration of glucose does indeed serve to raise the level of potassium but not by diluting the serum potassium. Raising serum potassium to safe levels can be a slow process. I believe Mannitol is more effective for immediate effect.