More details on the investigation into the death of Michael Jackson, which the Los Angeles County Coroner ruled a homicide on Monday. The Los Angeles Times reports authorities consider filing involuntary manslaughter charges against the entertainer's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who reportedly had been treating Jackson for insomnia with the powerful anesthetic.
"For six hours, Dr. Conrad Murray said he resisted—fearful that the pop star had developed a dangerous addiction to propofol. Instead, Murray administered the sedatives Valium, lorazepam and midazolam—five times over six hours. But none put Jackson to sleep, and he continued to demand his "milk," the word the pop star used for propofol.
Murray finally relented and at 10:40 a.m. added the drug to Jackson's intravenous drip, according to the records. That dose—mixed with the cocktail of other sedatives in the pop star's system—was enough to kill him, the Los Angeles County coroner's office concluded in a preliminary toxicology report cited in a search warrant affidavit unsealed Monday in Houston.
Police said Murray told them he found Jackson not breathing at 11 a.m.—a contention that Murray's attorney disputes -- but paramedics were not called until nearly 90 minutes later. During that time, police suspect that Murray made three cellphone calls totaling 47 minutes, according to the affidavits filed last month when authorities sought search warrants for Murray's Houston medical office and storage unit.
Jackson died June 25. Authorities have also not disclosed "how Jackson or Murray obtained the propofol, which is typically used in hospitals by anesthesiologists."
Most importantly: The LAT and TMZ report Murray told paramedics and ER doctors only that he had given Lorazepam (Ativan) to Jackson, neglecting to disclose the Propofol. "That critical omission that calls into question his treatment and could bolster pursuit of an involuntary manslaughter charge, authorities said."
If the Ambulance Call Report (ACR) filed by the paramedics does, in fact, state that Dr. Murray only mentioned that Jackson was given Ativan, that could be a very crucial piece of evidence against the doctor. ACRs are legal documents, part of he patient's permanent medical record, and as such they are "discoverable" in legal proceedings.
If Murray didn't tell the ambulance crew all the medications likely to in Jackson's system, this omission would clearly have serious effects on the treatment Jackson was given. Propofol is a powerful central-nervous system (CNS) depressant, which is why it must only be administered in a hospital setting, under the supervision of an anesthesiologist, which Dr. Murray was not.
If it is shown that Dr. Murray deliberately withheld this critical information from the medics and ER staff, that in itself would be an example of nonfeasance. If the medics, nurses and doctors working on Jackson didn't know he had Propofol in his bloodstream, they wouldn't have followeed the protocol for narcotic overdose, which is to give the patient naloxone hydrochloride (Narcan). Narcan works by reversing the effects of CNS depressants like heroin, or anasthetic agents like Propofol. It truly is a "wonder drug". I've seen it restore breathing in seconds to patients in respiratory arrest secondary to OD'ing. But docs can't treat what they never hear about.
This is looking worse and worse for Dr. Murray as time goes by. It's sounding a lot like Murray was trying to cover his A$$ets even as MJ lay dying...
Posted by: Nathan James | 25 August 2009 at 12:32
Dr. Murray can't justify why he didn't call paramedics when he first discovered Michael was not breathing. And what about the phone calls he made between the time Michael stopped breathing and when 911 was called? Why did he let Michael die without putting up a better effort to save him?
Posted by: Ravenback | 25 August 2009 at 13:01
I thought Dr. Murray was suspicious from the beginning. Now the truth is coming out.
Posted by: Joy Reed | 26 August 2009 at 11:51