Law Med Blog

Medical Discovery News: The case against Propofol

May 10, 2012 lawmed No comments

From Medical Discovery News By Norbert Herzog and David Niesel.

Most people had never heard of the drug propofol until Michael Jackson died from an overdose. His doctor was recently convicted and sentenced for being reckless when he administered the general anesthetic.

Since Jackson’s death, several scientific papers have begun urging the US Drug Enforcement Administration to regulate the drug. You may already be asking, though – why would anyone use propofol recreationally?

Within seconds, it acts on a person’s central nervous system, sedating them. A mistake can cause a drop in blood pressure, obstructed airway, respiratory failure, and even death. With such high risks, propofol does seem only useful in medical settings on surgical and intensive care patients who are highly monitored.

Before officials could classify it a controlled substance, they’d have to ask, “Is propofol being abused?” One condition for abuse is first documenting recreational use. Recent scientific … (Continued…)

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Judge Tells Conrad Murray He Is A Danger To The Community Denies Bail

February 24, 2012 lawmed No comments

California Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, the same judge who presided over the manslaughter trail of Conrad Murray, and sentenced him to immediate incarceration upon his guilty verdict and 4 years in prison, rejected the felon’s request to be released on bail pending appeal on Friday of last week.

Citing a poor chance that the appeal would be successful as one reason bail will continue to be denied, the judge went on to say that his opinion of Murray and his actions, which he made clear in no uncertain terms at the time of sentencing, are as severe now as they were then. See the video of Judge Pastor dressing down Murray during sentencing HERE. Pastor told Murray that the simple truth is he killed his patient Michael Jackson with his poor medical care…that it was not some unfortunate accident or mistake, but manslaughter when he handed down the … (Continued…)

Texas Medical Board Suspends Conrad Murray’s Medical License

February 17, 2012 lawmed No comments

Citing no emergent need to act since Conrad Murray is serving a 4 year prison sentence for his conviction of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson and is not a threat to the citizens of Texas, the Texas Medical Board put the matter of dealing with the convicted felon’s medical license into their routine flow of business. On February 10 they suspended his license to practice. His Texas license was already restricted, forbidding him from administering propofol to any patients. Murray’s licenses to practice in California and Nevada have already been suspended indefinitely.

Read the Board’s order below:

View this document on Scribd

… (Continued…)

Felon Dr. Norberg Defense Of Propofol Use On Wife FAILS [Video]

January 08, 2012 lawmed 1 Comment

In what can only be described as a pathetic attempt to justify what was at best gross medical negligence and unethical behavior, and at worst chemical incapacitation for the purpose of committing serial rape, Dr. Jon Norberg, 41, of Fargo N.D. went on camera Friday, days after pleading guilty to lesser charges of felony reckless endangerment and misdemeanor sexual imposition.

If the public learned anything about propofol from the Michael Jackson case , it is the fact that it should NEVER be administered in someone’s home under ANY circumstances, and that it is a very dangerous drug in untrained hands. The good Dr. Norberg would have us believe that he is somehow qualified and even experienced in the administration of propofol and that a reasonable physician might inject his wife with it over and over to treat an illness. There is not an ounce of truth in this. Not an … (Continued…)

Conrad Murray Asked To Surender His Calif MD License

January 04, 2012 lawmed No comments

Conrad Murray, convicted in November of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson has been asked by the California Medical Board to surrender his license, an official said Tuesday. Murray was formally asked on Dec. 29 to surrender the medical certificate as a result of his felony conviction, said Dan Wood, a spokesman for the medical board. Murray, who was sentenced to four years behind bars, is currently in jail and has until the middle of this month to return the certificates, Wood said. Following that, the California Medical Board will at a later date move to revoke Murray’s medical license according to Wood.… (Continued…)

Watch Harsh Words Delivered By Judge Pastor At Murray Sentencing [VIDEO]

December 04, 2011 lawmed No comments

If you did not get the chance to watch the video of Judge Pastor sentencing Dr. Conrad Murray to 4 years in prison it is well worth 10 minutes of your time. He rakes Murray over the coals in a well deserved come-to-Jesus, dose of reality, statement. 4 years in county jail was the maximum sentence allowed under the law and you get the impression that Pastor would have preferred a longer sentence in state prison. The judge refers to Murray’s treatment of Michael Jackson as “medical experimentation”.

http://lawmedconsultant.com/murray.flv … (Continued…)

Anesthesiologist As Expert Witness: Murray Trial Lessons How Not To [VIDEO]

November 07, 2011 lawmed 1 Comment

Expert witness testimony in both criminal and civil litigation is necessary both to explain highly technical or specialized evidence presented to a jury, and to establish the Standard of Care (SOC) by which a defendants actions are judged. In the case of the SOC, expert witness testimony alone establishes its content. However it is the jury that accepts, or rejects, the testimony and settles on the appropriate SOC. One can then easily imagine that an expert’s testimony often determines the guilt, innocence, and/or liability of a defendant. It is very important stuff which requires accuracy and an unbiased presentation.

To that end, most all professional societies have established guidelines for the qualification and testimony of experts within their profession. These guidelines tend to have common requirements: The expert must be qualified as the profession defines it, and; The expert should be neutral and unbiased in their testimony as to the … (Continued…)

Anesthesiologist In Murray Trial Calls Colleague “Scumbag”

October 25, 2011 lawmed 1 Comment

Dr. Paul White, an anesthesiologist and expected witness for the defense in the Conrad Murray involuntary manslaughter trial for the death of Michael Jackson, has been present in the courtroom for the testimony of his colleague and former student Dr. Steven Shafer. Shafer is a Professor of Anesthesiology at Columbia University and Editor-in-Chief of the prominent medical journal Anesthesia & Analgesia. White was formerly an anesthesiologist in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Management at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and is now Director of the White Mountain Institute, a 501 non-profit dedicated to raising and distributing funds to support “creative endeavors that bring together leaders in the arts and medicine throughout the world”. He is also a section editor for Anesthesia & Analgesia.

The two first met in 1981 when Shafer was a medical student and White was one of his instructors and have … (Continued…)

Cardiologist Buries Conrad Murray During Testimony

October 12, 2011 lawmed No comments

Cardiologist Dr. Alon Steinberg, a physician who conducted the California Medical Board review of Murray in the wake of Michael Jackson’s death, took the stand today and hammered what should be the final nail in the coffin that is a guilty verdict of Conrad Murray. His testimony is, in Law Med’s view THE only relevant testimony. His findings are irrefutable and prove the prosecution’s case beyond any reasonable doubt. There is NO defense to his testimony. His is the first voice of medical reason to be heard in this trial and his testimony was clear, concise and very powerful. He said he found six instances of gross negligence, each amounting to extreme deviations from the standard of care, in Murray’s treatment of Jackson. Here are the issues he testified to which prove Murray’s guilt. Period.

Propofol is never used to treat insomnia.
A physician administering it in someone’s home is

… (Continued…)

Toxicology In The Michael Jackson Manslaughter Trial

October 08, 2011 lawmed 9 Comments

Witness testimony concerning the autopsy and toxicology results has begun in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray for voluntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. This is likely the make or break area of testimony for the defense, who has claimed that Jackson caused his own death by self administering both oral lorazepam and oral and/or IV propofol. It is highly technical testimony, with large amounts of medical and scientific jargon and principles which cannot help but confuse the jury at times.

Law Med will go through the evidence and testimony in order to simplify and clarify what is becoming. in our view, intentionally muddled by the defense. We don’t blame them, since it may be their only hope of getting Murray off. The facts are certainly of little use towards that end. Even though we are ‘simplifying’ the information, it is still intensive to digest. Read some, take … (Continued…)

Propofol Explained: Factual Expert Answers On Jackson Case

October 03, 2011 lawmed 6 Comments

Law Med has suffered through a number of “experts” appearing on international broadcast media and in print who claim to know all about propofol, its administration, its abuse and addiction potential, while at the same time spouting misstated facts or downright nonsense regarding the drug.

First, to bring some perspective as to why Law Med’s opinions are worth a hill of beans, we must humbly state that Law Med is arguably a national expert on the abuse of propofol, and resultant fatal outcomes, as well as propofol addiction, including incidence, physiologic mechanisms and treatment. Law Med has 2 decades of experience administering anesthesia including propofol, peer assistance advisory experience with a national organization of anesthesia professionals, and has published two peer reviewed medical journal articles on the subject, and has been a national contact person for dozens of calls about individuals in crisis from propofol abuse, overdose and addiction. Law … (Continued…)

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