From Dr. Dhar:

The graph shows Michael Jackson’s blood propofol at the time of death. The other drugs are not even counted here!
Jackson’s blood level was 4.   This means he was fully anesthetized.  With a propofol level of 4 he could have had his gallbladder taken out!

1. The 25mg which Dr.Murray says he gave Jackson could not have reached a level of 4.

2.  Jackson could not have woken up with a level of 4.  For Jackson to wake up his level would have to be less than 1.
3.  Jackson could not have drunk enough propofol to reach a level of 4.  Besides propofol is not absorbed through the stomach.
4.  Jackson could not have injected himself with only 25mg to reach a level of 4.

Keep watching the trial and our blog for more updates!

Basically, Murray was charged with manslaughter by the Los Angeles court system, to which he plead not guilty.  If convicted, he could serve four years in prison.   He was charged based on evidence the district attorney’s office presented that indicated Murray acted “without due caution and circumspection.”  Basically – he is charged with accidentally killing MJ by performing a medical procedure without the proper knowledge or training to do so.

Should he be charged?  Absolutely!  He had no idea what he was doing.  Anesthesiologists spend years learning to administer these drugs in controlled settings, with appropriate monitoring devices and support staff.  It cannot be done in the home, and it must not be done by those who have not undergone the proper training.  I wouldn’t go perform a heart catherization on somebody just because I could get a hold of the equipment.  Let Murray stick to cardiology, and the anesthesiologists will stick to anesthesia.

You can comment and blog all you want on Nancy Grace’s blog too.  Medical Barista’s own Double Shot has appeared on Nancy’s program several times regarding the Michael Jackson case.

Here’s the photo, with the face of the deceased person blurred out…

The resident who posted the photo, Dr. Erica Katz, has apologized profusely to the media and to her coworkers and former professors/mentors at Stony Brook.  The hospital has yet to say whether or not they will formally reprimand the physician.  The student who is posing for the picture has also made an apology for his actions.

Although most medical schools continue to offer cadaver labs for teaching anatomy, some are going to virtual labs as methods of teaching, as cadavers donated for medical teaching are becoming more scarce.  Many anatomy labs are also employing “pro-sections,” where the professor dissects one cadaver in front of the student audience.  The students then use the dissected specimen and computer models to study.  In light of the current scandal, it is easy to see that the standard methods of teaching anatomy are going to have to adapt.    News like this certainly doesn’t make the public want to go out and donate their bodies to science.

All medical schools have policies regarding the photography of cadavers and behavior in the cadaver lab.  It is treated as a very sensitive subject.  Some schools, like the University of North Carolina, even have student-run memorial services at the end of an anatomy course to honor those who have donated their remains to medical education.  Clearly these students were less sensitive.

This comes just days after inappropriate pictures were posted on Facebook of Puerto Rican doctors partying in the field clinics of Haiti.   I wish people would stop misbehaving for the sake of the profession.  And at the very least they should know by now what to post and what NOT to post on Facebook.

Here’s the full article courtesy of bostonherald.com.

Seems that several doctors from Puerto Rico are chugging down big mugs of regret after posing for some objectionable pictures taken during a mission trip to Haiti.  CNN dug up pictures of the group on Facebook, posing with Haitian military, holding guns and smiling for the camera.

CNN reports, as can be read in an online article, that several doctors were sent to Haiti by the government of Puerto Rico just days after the earthquake in order to set up a field hospital to assist in addressing health care needs.  Although the intentions and work of the group were honest and admirable, several members of the team of doctors took pictures with Haitian military, holding machine guns and smiling.  This picture, shown above, as well as others were posted on Facebook.  Other pictures showed the doctors drinking beer and scotch inside the field clinic, dressed in surgical gear, with patients in the pictures as well.  The Puerto Rican government is quite ashamed of the situation, and has said that these photos may compromise the careers of the individuals involved.

I have to say that I too am embarrassed that these pictures surfaced.  I am sad for the doctors, who must have been under great stress to perform in those conditions, but whose actions are inexcusable.  I am sad that this has tarnished the public opinion of medical missions.  But it also illustrates a predicament that most doctors have to face at some point.  This job is so much more than a job.  The public holds doctors at such a high moral standard that something that would otherwise seem a minor indescretion to another profession becomes an unforgiveable grievance for a medical professional.