Since MJ died, anytime I give Monitored Anesthesia Care with propofol, I ask myself, “What the hell was he thinking?”
That drugs were involved in MJ’s death, seem to get more certain by the day.
Here you have a man with a long history of insomnia who allegedly was trying to get his hands on propofol (Diprivan) – one of the most powerful anesthetics available!
It is being reported, propofol was found in the house where he died.
And now his cardiologist is being investigated for manslaughter!
Propofol must be given by a medical practitioner who understands how the drug works (a lot of doctors and nurses don’t),
can support the airway and if need be place the patient on a respirator and can support the heart and maintain the blood pressure.
It needs to be given at a place where equipment are present for such support.
Why?
Because this drug not only puts you to sleep, it can also stop your breathing and drop your blood pressure so low
that there is no blood being pumped around effectively! You see, if you stop breathing, no oxygen gets to the body.
If the brain cells don’t get oxygen in 3-5 minutes,…….
It is usually given as the drug to knock you out for an operation.
If however you are getting, say, a colonoscopy ,
one could run propofol as an infusion for the length of the procedure.
At that low dose, the patient is asleep, breaths by himself and wakes up once the infusion is turned off.
However, there is a fine line between the patient breathing by himself and not breathing.
That is why the medical provider needs to be by the patient the whole time!
So back to MJ.
Was he being given this drug by the cardiologist friend?
If he was administering this drug to MJ, he should<strong> neve</strong>r have left the bedside.
Did he have equipment, the medications and oxygen to support him if need be?
How did he get his hands on the drug?
A doctor or doctors and pharmacists facilitated this and if that is so, they are in a ton of trouble.
If he was taking other drugs that can suppress your breathing – Demerol, Oxycontin etc and you add propofol to it,
it is like pouring gasoline on fire!
A sad fact about the practice of medicine – for the right amount, you’ll find a doctor to do anything!