We’ve poked a bit of fun at CNN’s Sanjay Gupta in the past. See this Blair Witch like visit to a Mexican swine flu ward he did in the epidemic’s earliest days. And, yes, we’ve also had more substantive quibbles with his reporting.
But after having heard him speak earlier this week on NPR’s Fresh Air about his new book “Cheating Death,” when given some space to report and talk he’s clearly a very bright guy. (They don’t, after all, give out degrees in medical neuroscience to just anybody.)
The interview is a fascinating look at the very frontiers of emergency care and death, where medical and scientific advances are causing doctors and researchers to reevaluate how “dead” someone can be and still come back to very normal life. And as a bonus, guest interviewer Dave Davies closes with a nicely posed why-aren’t-you-our-Surgeon-General question. At 20 minutes long, it’s well worth a listen.
I am working with Dr. John Wang at the Uof I Medical Center on a head cooling device for TBI, Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attacks, etc. that will be funded by the Army. This will be a Phase II effort based on the outstanding results on the initial exploratory effort.
The system is non-invasive and dropped brain temperature 2°C in 15 minutes.
I'll be happy to provide you with the intitial study paper.
#1 Posted by William Elkins, CJR on Sat 17 Oct 2009 at 09:11 PM
I was interested in this special since I suffered cardiac arrest on July 9, 2009. My wife started with CPR taught to her over the phone by the 911 operator. Local police arrived within minutes. I had no pulse nor any breathing. Police had defib, followed by EMT's very shortly afterward. I was on my way to the local hospital where they prepared me for the hypothermic procedure and rushed to the Doylestown (Pa) hospital where the full procedure was implemented in Cardiac ICU. There placed in a coma for several days. Coming out of the induced coma, I was alive but not myself. I had a Pacer/Defibrilator implanted in my chest. After d/c from the hospital, I had in-home nursing, occupation and physical therapy followed by cognitive and speech therapy. About 2 months later, I started slowly back into my vocation as a Child/Adol. Trauma Specialist and after the third month, was full time on a more relaxed schedule. There is so much more to my story but this is the thubnail sketch. I am truly a blessed person. Thanks for listening.
Howard Milton
Milton Mental Health Services, Inc.
#2 Posted by Howard Milton, CJR on Sat 17 Oct 2009 at 11:46 PM
Just watched the special on TV... particularly interested because my husband 28 suffered a heart attack at our home and the reason why is still unknown. He went 40 minutes without oxygen and survived and is doing quite well today (10 months later), as a result, I am sure, of being placed into Hyperthermic Protocol following the arrest. The story is very similar to that of Chris shown on the special. Can anyone direct me to find out more about his particular story? We are here in Canada thankfully and do not have to worry about insurance, like Chris unfortunately does. Thanks!
#3 Posted by Sarah Lennox, CJR on Sun 18 Oct 2009 at 09:11 PM
My husband and I just watched the show also. My husband had sudden cardiac death at the hospital. He woke me and said get up, I think I am having a heart attack. I jumped up and drove him non stop to the hospital, where we went to the emergency room and he had it on the table. His eyes rolled back in his head and he was gone. Flat line. The Dr. jumped on him and hit him in the chest and the room was full of nurses and Dr. in the emergency room. I wound up in the corner watching this all take place. I could'nt believe what I was seeing. I thought I was in a dream. My husband had just died before my eyes. They continued to do CPR for 38 min. and shocked him 8 times, full force. Still nothing. Dr. was just about to call it quits and the nurse said I have a heart beat, and then a pulse. They then transported him to a bigger hospital in St. Louis and they put a stent in his heart and then took him to the critical care unit. We got to see him for a minute and then they comatosed him and put him in the Artic Sun, which is the cold water suit. Took his temperature down to 91 degrees and kept him there for 48 hours and then warmed him back up slowly. He is alive and fine, nothing wrong with him at all. He doesn't remember anything, I am so thankful to all that were involved. I am sure that the cold water bath made all of the difference.
Thank you for the show.
#4 Posted by Jacque Wilson, CJR on Sun 18 Oct 2009 at 09:37 PM
As an RN who worked in a critical care unit for over 20 years who has a commitment to teach lay rescuers CPR, I would like to share my 45 year old daughter's (Michelle Haller) story.
It was the first half in her weekly moms soccer league game at Afrim's Sports on Wednesday (10/14/2009)when she jogged to the sidelines and asked to be subbed out because she wasn't feeling well. She grabbed her water bottle and then fell, in cardiac arrest, her husband, John Haller, said Sunday.
Because of what happened over the next half hour -- the efforts of fellow soccer moms, onlookers, paramedics and doctors -- the 45-year-old athlete is in an Albany Medical Center Hospital room today asking her children to tell her jokes.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=854370&category=ALBANY#ixzz0UfEHf0PT
Our family's commitment after this event, is to make sure that everyone in the family can do CPR, spread the word to as many people as possible and to provide as many opportunities as possible for people in the community to learn CPR.
#5 Posted by Marge Gagnon, CJR on Thu 22 Oct 2009 at 09:32 AM
Gupta in his book "Cheating Death", and in interviews promoting the book, has done a huge disservice to the public. He has deliberately confused brain death with vegetative state. The two are very different. The general public needs to understand that a declaration of brain death, done by the statutorily and professionally mandated protocol, is the most certain method we have of determining death. No one rises up from brain death. In confusing the difference between vegetative state and brain death Gupta is responsible for unnecessary disstress for families whose loved ones have been declared brain dead, and for causing next of kin to reject organ donation and thereby causing the death of people on the transplant waiting lists.
See http://www.nyuhjd.org/rusk/news/articles/11_23_ragucci.html for the real story of Mark Ragucci's recovery. Mark Ragucci is the surgeon that Gupta claims rose from brain death. Note that Ragucci was never declared brain dead.
For information on brain death see: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/coma/coma.htm
#6 Posted by Mike Holloway, CJR on Sun 25 Oct 2009 at 11:39 AM
At the age of 48 i had a heartatach was on life suport for 3 weeks Doctors said that i was not going to make it.Told my wife to call family in.Had to bring me back 6 times by shocking.I did go to the other side.I beleave it was hell that I went to.I also had a chose On which way to go.Thank god i was able to come back and change my ways. PS. I had to have a heart transplant aug.27 08.
#7 Posted by Carl Ward, CJR on Wed 28 Oct 2009 at 04:59 PM
If you listen to the Fresh Air interview referenced above you'll hear Gupta claim that he's looked to some patient charts (plural), seen that they were pronounced brain dead, and then later talked to them. That is a straight out lie. Why he would want to do this though is a mystery to me. I can't make myself believe that its just to sex up his book. But he is absolutely wrong. No one has been "cured" of brain death. There are many friend of friend and urban legend stories of it, but you will not find it in the peer reviewed liturature, and its not because of a conspiracy. There is much sloppy use of the term, often confusing it with vegetative state, which it is not. Brain death is our most certain method of determining death, that's why it was adopted. Nothing has changed in that regard. Current debate regarding brain death has to do with standardizing methods for determining loss of higher brain function, not about throwing out brain death.
#8 Posted by Mike Holloway, CJR on Sat 7 Nov 2009 at 11:10 PM
In a 16 month time frame I had a heart attack with 100% blockage an 50% blockage. Then had treatment and surgery for liver cancer in which I developed yellow jondis and the doctors told everyone I was dying after numerous surgeries. I was in a coma for about 1 1/2 months. Now I am working on finishing school with a associates degree in police sciences.
#9 Posted by Michael Ellan, CJR on Mon 11 Jan 2010 at 10:18 AM