Posted on 06/19/2005 6:04:50 PM PDT by wagglebee
Dr. William Hammesfahr, nominated for a Nobel Prize for his work in Medicine, has been recognized by agents for Medicare, the federal government, and others for new approaches to helping the brain injured.
Dr. Hammesfahr has been identified in helping patients with chronic brain injuries from many causes actually leave long term disability, and return to work.
Dr. Hammesfahr was identified the first physician to restore deficits caused by stroke.
Dr. Hammesfahr has released the following statement in response to the autopsy report on Terri Schindler Schiavo:
We have seen a lot on the autopsy of Terri Schindler Schiavo in recent days, that I feel needs to be addressed. To ignore these comments will allow future 'Terri Schiavo's' to die needlessly after the wishes of clinicians and family are ignored.
Considering that there were so many physicians and therapists who were willing to step forward to treat Terri Schiavo, from university based practitioners to those in private practice, it clearly shows that the mainstream medical community across the board, those involved in treating patients, knew that they could help Terri.
The record must be set straight. As we noted in the press, there was no heart attack, or evident reason for this to have happened (and certainly not of Terri's making).
Unlike the constant drumbeat from the husband, his attorneys, and his doctors, the brain tissue was not dissolved, with a head of just spinal fluid. In fact, large areas were "relatively preserved."
The purpose of the therapies offered by so many, from major universities, brain injury centers, and from private practice physicians, is to improve and restore quality of life, and function, which the mainstream medical community clearly tried to get to her.
I have had a chance to look at Dr. Nelson's analysis of the brain tissue, and essentially, as a clinician, these are my thoughts.
The autopsy results confirmed my opinion and Dr. Maxfield's opinions, that the frontal areas of the brains, the areas that deal with awareness and cognition were relatively intact. To use Dr. Nelson's words, "relatively preserved." In fact, the relay areas from the frontal and front temporal regions of the brain, to the spinal cord and the brain stem, by way of the basal ganglia, were preserved, thus the evident responses which she was able to express to her family and to the clinicians seeing her or viewing her videotape. The Spect scan confirmed these areas were functional and not scar tissue, and that was apparently also confirmed on Dr. Nelson's review of the slides. Dr. Maxfield's estimates of retained brain weight were apparently accurate, although there may have been some loss of brain weight due to the last two weeks of dehydration.
Dr. Maxfield and myself both emphasized that she was a woman trapped in her body, similar to a child with cerebral palsy, and that was born out by the autopsy, showing greater injury in the motor and visual centers of the brain. Obviously, the pathologists comments that she could not see were not borne out by reality, and thus his assessment must represent sampling error. The videotapes clearly showed her seeing, and even Dr. Cranfoed, for the husband, commented to her that, when she could see the balloon, she could follow it with her eyes as per his request.
That she could not swallow was obviously not borne out by the reality that she was swallowing her saliva, about 1.5 liters per day of liquid, and the clinical swallowing tests done by Dr. Young and Dr. Carpenter. Thus, there appears to be some limitations to the clinical accuracy of an autopsy in evaluating function.
With respect to the issue of trauma, that certainly does not appear to be answered adequately. Some of the types of trauma that are suspected were not adequately evaluated in this assessment. Interestingly, both myself and at least one neurologist for the husband testified to the presence of neck injuries. The issue of a forensic evaluation for trauma, is highly specialized. Hence the wish of the family to have observers which was refused by the examiner.
Ultimately, based on the clinical evidence and the autopsy results, an aware woman was killed.
s/Dr. W. Hammesfahr
[Dr. Hammesfahr was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1999. The Nomination was for work started in 1994. In 2000, this work resulted in approval for the first patent in history granted for the treatment of neurological diseases including coma, stroke, brain injury, cerebral palsy, hypoxic injuries and other neurovascular disorders with medications that restore blood flow to the brain. It was extended to treat successfully disabilities including ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourette's and Autism as well as behaviorally and emotionally disturbed children, seizures and severe migraines.]
Caused, as in neglect by the Hospice nurses. That is what you are indicating if the bedsores occurred between 12/03 and 3/05.
Goes without saying.
Are you a nurse? Not all bedsores are caused by neglect. Sometimes stuff just happens, despite good care.
Oh, and it's not IF the bedsores occurred post 12/03.
Unless you believe that doctors, nurses and guardian ad litems are all lying. Do you?
Isn't there always?
I am sure you are going to provide the records and references to prove your theoretical assertion. Meanwhile, your insinuation that you know more about patient care ("Not all bedsores are caused by neglect. Sometimes stuff just happens") is the only laughable portion of your argument. Your attempt to insult me by questioning whether I am a nurse is lame too.
Nice dodge and still not answering the question.
It's hardly theoretical when all the people who said she never had a bedsore pre 12/03 testified under oath.
So, do you think all those doctors and nurses are lying?
As I stated before, I am not aware of any physicians or nurses testifying that there were never bedsores prior to 12/2003. You haven't provided references.
When was Mrs. Schiavo's toe amputated--and why?
Yet another dodge and subject change. Toodles.
You really aren't being honest here. You need to find someone else who is more gullible for your games. You refuse to back up your assertions, and default to cheap insults. Better luck next time, Peach.
LOL.
Still dodging and weaving, aren't you? Amazing the conspiracy theories that a nurse would buy into.
Proceedings concluded that there was no basis for the removal of Michael as Guardian Further, it was determined that he had been very aggressive and attentive in his care of Theresa. His demanding concern for her well being and meticulous care by the nursing home earned him the characterization by the administrator as "a nursing home administrator's nightmare". It is notable that through more than thirteen years after Theresa's collapse, she has never had a bedsore.
http://home.comcast.net/~trinity_tx/wolfson.htm
Since you are so intimately familiar with Mrs. Schiavo's case, find out when her toe was amputated. The odds are most probable it was amputated due to a bedsore. Now, that was hardly changing the subject. I just needed to spell it out for you a bit more.
Your attempt to label me as a conspiracy theorist, dodging, and weaving is simply more evidence of your lame argument again. You can do better than sinking to name calling--can't you?
I can't give you the date her left little toe was amputated, but an article in the Miami Herald said that it was due to the fact she had drop foot. The foot twisted and turned downward and the pressure that resulted required that the toe be amputated. Now if you want to subscribe to the paper to read the articles in the archives, feel free to do so. I frankly am not going to bother to spend the money. Have a good night. Oh, and don't bother to reply. I didn't make any typos.
I'm just guessing here, so feel free to disagree with me. Foot drop is treatable with cushioned boots, which are worn to prevent the twisting and turning you describe. Those boots also prevent the pressure you describe that result in pressure ulcers (another name for bedsores) that caused the amputation.
Again I'm just guessing, so if I'm wrong, no problem. If someone is in hospice, where Terri was for a good long while, the priorities aren't going to include maintaining circulation in the extremities (hands and feet). Pressure ulcers resulting in amputation can occur from pressure as light as a sheet on a foot; sometimes "tents" are used over the feet, with sheets and blankets pulled over them, to prevent that pressure.
Good nursing care for any patient, including a hospice patient in my opinion (unless you want to just write them off and give them no care), involves the prevention of pressure ulcers through the use of cushioned boots, frequent position changes, keeping the peri area clean and dry, use of moisture barrier lotions and massage to keep circulation intact (and thus prevent bedsores).
Pressure ulcers are painful, according to conscious patients I've talked to who have them. In addition, they smell horrible and can be a serious source of systemic infection.
The existence of any pressure ulcers--or bedsores, or whatever we call them--is evidence of poor care. Nursing assessment of any patient who is immobilized for whatever reason involves q shift inspection of feet (including the heels), sacrum, shoulders, hips, knees--any potential pressure points, q two hours turning and repositioning of patient to allow blood to circulate to pressure areas, relief of pressure by whatever means (tents, air mattresses, water mattresses, pillows, whatever) q two hour checks of peri area for cleaning of incontinent patients and any soiled sheets, blankets, pads, clothing, passive motion exercises to prevent atrophy of muscles and further compromising of circulation.
I've done all this. Any nurse has. You do it because it is a hallmark of a professional nurse to prevent pressure ulcers in any patient in your care. The practice of allowing patients to wallow uncleaned and unturned leads to rapid development of serious pressure ulcers that can be life-threatening in an immobilized patient (including patients in traction, hip casts, etc.). Such poor practice is a hallmark of poor patient care.
Healing of pressure ulcers involves vigorous and meticulous attention to cleanliness and positioning, use of Duoderm or comparable patches, and whatever other measures are advised, including surgical debridement of dead tissue, passive motion exercises, etc.
I HATE bedsores--they are the enemy of a good nurse, a stain on her practice, and a clear indication of less than optimal care. In bedridden patients cared for at home by family and part-time help, they are almost inevitable. In a modern nursing home or good hospice, they should not ever occur.
ALL: T'wit is now officially on vacation and outta here for a while. Behave yourselves while I'm gone.
No, that's asking too much. Have fun. Have too much fun! And remember, before you go to sleep each night, kiss and make up :-)
Still dodging and weaving. It must be good exercise.
You just keep throwing up more questions but can't answer one yourself. How does that work out for you?
Only you would know the answer, because you wrote the book on that circular dance. Have a good day. :-D
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