[bjs1779]

Fair enough.

Well, on second thought, maybe this part of the autopsy was not quite fair.

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Comment: Brain weight is an important index of its pathologic state. Brain weight is correlated with height, weight, age and sex. The decedent's brain was grossly abnormal and weighted only 615 grams (1.35 lbs.) That weight is less than half of the expected tabular weight for a decedent of her adult age of 41 years 3 months and 28 days. By way of comparison, the brain of Karen Ann Quinlan weighed 835 grams at the time of her death, after 10 years of similar persistent vegetative state.

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I think Karen Ann Quinlan was hydrated until the day she died, but I didn't see a notation recognizing that difference in the report.

I wonder what is this M.E. is going to say when he puts a brain of a hemispherectomy patient on his scales. Compare him to Terri Schiavo? : ) (No insult intended to Terri)

[T'wit]

Yes, that was a cheap shot. But wasn't it by the other guy, who did the brain exam, not Thogmartin? (I'm not in a position to look it up right now, but that's my recollection.)

[T'wit]

Hemispherectomy trims down that excess brain weight pretty darned fast. The patients are partially paralyzed on the opposite side of their body, but what the heck, the surgery is a success -- not so many seizures! Some kiddies don't even need seizure medicine! Surprising they didn't throw in a free frontal lobotomy while they're in there cutting. Then you can take the kid off Ritalin.

Pay no attention, I'm watching too much Hitchcock again.