Kevin Everett When Cold Is Hot Stuff

[Samarta]

Originally Posted by docicu3

It WAS a life threatening injury .....the docs were being closed lipped about the potential of this possibility of recovery as all docs do with dire illness.
Every day I start a conversation talking about what COULD be with severe illness like this. No family is ever going to be upset with you if you tell the truth about the possibilities and then the patient does better than expected.

The amazing aspect of this story is that these neurosurgeons trusted their intensivists (critical care docs like myself) to TRY a therapy for one disease that is essentially brand new for one disease (cardiac arrest) and allow it to be used for the same postential gains (minimizing if not arresting injury taking place after the truama) with spinal cord trauma!!!

Thes intensivists are heroes of the highest level because they just may have laid the ground work for us to save thousands of lives in other disease states.

I just read about the movement....I'm happy you were right and I was wrong.... Hope he keeps progressing.....

[pdrift1]

they have had a drug that they have been using for the past 5-6 years besides this that has also had good results for sci trauma and also must be administered as soon as possible after the injury. and has taken the swelling down to allow them to come back after such a injury. but if severed there is no hope except the science for the regeneration of cells or bypass the break. to think what might be possible with stem cell research to help this is another battle that needs to be won.its amazing how far modern med has come in the last 20 years!!!

[skippy3481]

Very interesting doc, thank you for taking the time to post it. It always amazes me at what medical science can do. Obviously, in this case, it seems to have only helped him. Are there any possible detriments to this therapy or is generally considered to have neutral or positive results?

I hope he can walk again.

What irked me during MNF ESPN repeatedly showed the play where he was injured. Really classless on their part.

[docicu3]

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

I hope he can walk again.

What irked me during MNF ESPN repeatedly showed the play where he was injured. Really classless on their part.

I agree Pillow it's a little like the feeking you get when a showing of the Towers going down during 9/11.....sickening!

The sports media hasn't figured out why this is so significant yet. The key to this is that this approach is actually able to minimize, if not stop, neurologic ischemia (low blood flow) which leads to irreversible stroke and permanent paralysis due to cessation of blood flow.

Without controlled hypothermia the swelling that would take place in Everett's cord at midneck (C3-C4 = above control of independent breathing by phrenic nerve) this would have left him a quadraplegic and ventilator dependent because he would be unable to lower his diaphram to breathe.

We do hypothermic therapy routinely now in sudden death if I can jump start your heart fast enough. (< 4 hours from heart stopping) The same goal of minimizing brain swelling and lethal ischemic injury is treated by running in 2 liters of glorified salt water at just above freezing temp.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/2007...src=RSS_PUBLIC

This is a link from Web MD that gives you the particulars. These guys are huge national heroes.

[ddthetide]

thanks again for your explanations!

Movement still improving.

No hand movement yet.
Hope he gets that back.
That will really help with
his quality of life.

Walking would be great.
I just really hope the guy can use
his arms and hands also.

[ddthetide]

hey doc, any updates on this case?