NEWS STORY Mar 23, 2010
The story continues in one of the most talked-about medical cases in recent history, that of the death of famous pop singer Michael Jackson. New testimony about the last few hours of Jackson’s life was given by Alberto Alvarez, Jackson’s logistics director.
According to Alvarez, he was summoned to Jackson’s room and saw him on the bed with an IV in his leg. Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackon’s doctor, was attempting to save his life by performing CPR with one hand. After telling Alvarez that Jackson had a “bad reaction,” Dr. Murray collected some vials of substances and an IV bag and told Alvarez to put them in bags. Only after that was done did Dr. Murray call 911.
At that point, Faheem Muhammad, Jackson’s driver and bodyguard, arrived and began doing chest compressions as Dr. Murray performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Ten minutes after Alvarez’s entrance, the paramedics arrived at the house.
At the hospital, Dr. Murray said he wanted to go back to the mansion to “pick up some cream” and took a taxi back when no one agreed to drive him back to the mansion.
Dr. Murray’s attorney argued that Alvarez’s testimony was inconsistent with previous statements given to investigators and could not be trusted. Dr. Murray is expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of Jackson.
You can read more about this news story from AP News.
Mar 18, 2010 | 4 Comments
Case Synopsis
Irene
Back in September 21, 1996, Dr. Swift saw Irene, an 18 year old female, at the urgent care clinic complaining of constipation, vomiting, weight loss, and poor appetite. 
This had been going on for 4-6 months. She weighed only 74 pounds and was hypotensive at 77/45 with a pulse of only 43.
Dr. Swift noted that Irene was “extremely thin” but otherwise normal. He ordered her an EKG, which showed a heart rate of only 34. Blood tests showed her sodium level remarkably low at 125. Dr. Swift’s assessment: “profound weight loss, anemia, dilutional hyponatremia, and anorexia.” And for his treatment plan, he prescribed Compazine (an anti-nausea medication), Metamucil, and advised her to stop taking in “free water.” Instead of admitting her in that serious condition, he sent her home to see him in a week.
NEWS STORY Mar 16, 2010
On Monday, former doctor Carlos Estiandan was convicted on 13 felony charges of unlawfully prescribing controlled substances. The amazing part is that Estiandan, now 68 years old, is said to be the most prolific prescriber in the country.
While the total amount he prescribed remains undisclosed, the DEA says Estiandan individually prescribed the most drugs in 2008, second only to all of Johns Hopkins Hospital!
In an undercover investigation lasting 3 years, deputies were able to obtain 12 prescriptions from Estiandan without ever being properly examined. The judge sentenced him to 11 years in prison.
Estiandan’s medical license was revoked last September for reasons including prescribing excessive medications to patients and for acting negligently.
NEWS STORY Mar 16, 2010
Last week, a Pennsylvania jury awarded $95 million to the families of 8 of the victims killed by convicted serial killer Charles Cullen. Even though the families won the maximum allowed by law, they will likely not collect, as Cullen is currently broke. They may collect, however, if Cullen ever makes money by selling his story, such as through a book or movie.
The hospitals that employed Cullen as a nurse were exempt from the lawsuit.
This is an update of this story: Nurse Serial Killer Faces Civil Trial.
NEWS STORY Mar 11, 2010
Maria Alaimo, from New York, had a breast lift and implants placed in 2003 by Dr. Keith Berman, a board certified plastic surgeon. According to the New York Post, after the surgery Maria was left with “double bubble deformities.”
Now a “double bubble deformity” is an uncommon, yet well-described potential complication of breast augmentation. A “double bubble” is when the underlying implant creates a second “bubble” instead of being uniform with the rest of the breast. Maria’s lawyer, Michael Kuharski described it as “like there’s two breasts (on each side) stacked on top of each other.”
According to Maria, she became so embarrassed that she couldn’t undress in front of her husband. “She slept in a different room, she’s depressed, she lost her self-esteem.” In the end, “she’s ultimately pushed her husband away to the extent that he filed for divorce.”
After listening to the case, the jury found Dr. Berman at fault, awarding Maria $3.5 million for pain and suffering.
Given that Maria paid Dr. Berman $7700 for the surgery, and that the complication is a well-known one (just do an internet search on it and you’ll find many examples)–what do you think of the jury award of $3.5 million?
NEWS STORY Mar 11, 2010
Beginning with the earliest case since February, six women so far have been hospitalized in New Jersey after being injected with what they thought was silicone in their buttocks. Instead, what they had received was a mixture of many different substances, including silicone, petroleum jelly, and hardware-grade caulk — the same type used in bathrooms and kitchens.
What the women had wanted was a buttocks enhancement procedure, so that their behinds would look more naturally rounded and full. However, the women began experiencing tissue and skin infections soon after their injections and checked themselves into hospitals. All six have received treatment and are recovering. Apparently, all the women originated from the Dominican Republic and had the injections done in the Newark area.
While there’s no confirmation yet that these six cases are all related, hospitals in the area have been advised to be on the look-out for additional cases.
You can read more about this news story at the Star-Ledger.
NEWS STORY Mar 08, 2010
The Florida Board of Medicine has issued an emergency 30-day suspension of Dr. Omar Brito Marin’s medical license after the death of a liposuction patient under his care.
Rohie Kah-Orukotan was a healthy, 37-year-old nurse when she went into Weston Medspa on September 25, 2009, for a minimally-invasive, laser liposuction surgery. Dr. Brito Marin, the “surgeon” who also doubled as the “anesthesiologist” for the case, improperly administered anesthetic medication, resulting in Rohie falling into a deep coma she never woke up from. Paramedics were called and she was rushed to the hospital, where she was eventually declared brain-dead. Her family pulled the life support 2 weeks later.
According to the medical board, Weston Medspa was not licensed to perform such a procedure. It did not even have a crash cart. Not only that, Dr. Brito Marin was not a plastic surgeon. The extent of Dr. Marin’s training in performing liposuction amounted to an 18-hour weekend course. Dr. Brito Marin’s background was reportedly in occupational medicine.
No anesthesiologist was ever present during the surgery.
In addition to the medical board’s pending investigation, the sheriff’s department is also conducting its own criminal inquiry into the matter.
