I don't beieve this was true. Does anyone have the facts on this issue?
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1007658/posts?page=110#110
Greta: Welcome, Dr. Baden,
Dr.Baden: Hi,
Greta: Dr. Baden, a potassium imbalance... lets first talk about... if you had a potassium deficiency, can that cause the condition that Terri Schiavo had?
Dr.Baden: Umm, CAN, but UNLIKELY.
Dr.Baden: Potassium is very interesting , its probably the most lethal poison we have when it is injected rapidly, and thats why its the poison that kills people in capital punisment by lethal injection.
Dr.Baden: And it stops the heart from beating properly. Too much of it. But also, too little of it, hypo-potassium, can also cause the heart to stop beating properly, and lead to lack of blood flow to the brain, and death of brain cells by lack of oxygen.
Greta: All right, would it, would it...
Dr.Baden: But thats very unusual Greta, extremely unusual.
Greta: A normal healthy woman, ahh, I assume would have no reason for instance, to take potassium supplements unless perhaps she was on a dieuretic, or had some other medication that would cause a potassium depetion. Is that right?
Dr.Baden: That is correct.
Greta: All right. Um, is there any explanation in your mind, and I realize you were not her treating physician, but why would a woman her age have a potassium, umm, imbalance?
Dr.Baden: Extremely unlikely..., unless she had certain kinds of diseases, which she doesn't have. She was in her 20's... the reason she is in the state she is in is because there was a period of time, maybe 5 minutes or 8 minutes when not enough oxygen was going to her brain. That can happen when the heart stops for 5 or 8 minutes, but she had a healthy heart from what we can see.
Dr.Baden: The other thing though...
Greta: (interrupting)
Dr.Baden: I'm sorry, Greta?
Greta: No, go ahead...
Dr.Baden: Your staff has provided me with a bone scan that you guys obtained... ummm, from her initial admission, in 1991 to the hospital. And that bone scan describes her as having a head injury.. thats why she's there..., thats why she's getting a bone scan. And a head injury can cause, umm, can lead to the vegetative state that Schiavo is in now,
Dr.Baden: ...and it does show evidence that there are OTHER injuries, other bone fractures, that are in the healing stage. So thats...
Greta: Alright, alright, let me back up for a second... head injuries... Could she have had, umm, could she have passed out from a potassium imbalance, causing you know, falling, hitting her head, head injury. Is that what you're talking about... or are you suggesting some sort of pre-existing injury to her passing out...
Dr.Baden: Something... something totally different. That its extremely rare, for a 20-year old to have a cardiac arrest, umm, from low potassium, who has no other diseases.
Dr.Baden: So the other issue, is could it have been due to some other cause? which is raised by the family, HAS to be looked at.
Greta: Alright, in the 20 seconds we have left... other injuries... bone injuries... what does that suggest to you?
Dr.Baden: That... some kind of trauma. The trauma could be from an auto accident, the trauma could be from a fall, OR the trauma could be from some kind of a BEATING that she obtained from somebody, somewhere.
Dr.Baden: Umm, its something that SHOULD have been investigated in 1991, when these findings were, ahh... found...
Greta: ...were fresh.
Dr.Baden: yes, And maybe they were. Maybe they were investigated by the police at that time.
Greta: Alright, thats it, Michael Baden, thank you
Dr.Baden: Thank you.