The coroner's reports from Michael Jackson's autopsy also found evidence that he was on other drugs at the time he died, including lidocaine, lorazepam and diazepam. Is it possible Jackson's death was due to a reaction from these drugs or do you think propofol alone could have killed him?
There's quite a sufficient answer just with this drug alone. But as with any other intoxicant, when you've taken any other drug, they all add up—and propofol is no different.
The fact that there's no reversing agent, and the ability to pull someone out of it—which we call rescuing—requires considerable professional training.
This is not a sleeping aid. This is a general anesthetic drug. Everyone has been saying, "Michael Jackson wanted to be asleep." No one talked about relaxing drugs. With this drug in unskilled hands, this sleep was permanent. It induces general anesthesia, which is not like a night's sleep.
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12 Comments
Add CommentMurray ....Just a normal brain dead medical professional
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is nothing "normal" about Dr. Murray's care of Michael Jackson. It is grossly below the standard of care for use of propofol, which is just another way of saying that no "normal" doctor would dream of doing what he did.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA very disappointing article. Almost no real science of Propofol. Just tabloid standard coverage. Pity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a much more scientifically informative link, though still not up to the normal standard of SciAm scientific analysis:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://liambean.hubpages.com/hub/Propofol-Diprivan--what-is-it
"Propofol binds to GABAA receptors in the central nervous system. These receptors, once blocked, are known to cause a reduction in anxiety and also induce sleep. Propofol is known to bind to these sites and in sufficient quantities can induce a dreamless, near coma-like state in those given the drug.
Like many drugs Propfol is cleared from the body by the liver. However, since it is known that Propofol's effects are reduced or eliminated within minutes of cessation of administration and a close study reveals that it's impossible for the liver alone to eliminate that much of the drug, it is also thought that the drug is taken up by surrounding tissues such as vein walls, muscles, and fatty tissue. Once a drip of the drug has stopped patients can re-awaken in as little as two minutes and be fully aware and able to drive or resume work activities within a short period of time (one to three hours for most).
Propofol can be administered for very short or long durations depending on the procedure it is needed for. From minutes to hours."
And here:
"Proposed Mechanisms of Propofol-Related Infusion Syndrome"
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/572673_4
"Propofol is known to bind to these sites and in sufficient quantities can induce a dreamless, near coma-like state in those given the drug."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell....that explains a lot of what is going on in DC!!!
The author brushes over the fact that Michael took four Benzodiazapines, each of which would have individually suppressed his respiration, combined they truly wuold have caused a severe, catastrauphic event without the propofol, add to it a serious anesthetic and it is easy to see how he went into arrest and died.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think he should definitely lose his license, I'm not sure about jail though. He didn't deliberately killed him; he was making 150 thousand dollars a month off Michael. He chose money over ethic, he knew Michael was abusing the drugs, but what you gonna do, huh? Michael had his mind made up and this is what he wanted to take and he paid for his life with the choice he made. And now people are demonizing this doctor, the black Rasputin, putting him under the microscope, hoping to find sth that will show... haha... he did it, you see I found the smoking gun! There is a bigger picture, the iatrogenic death in the Usa/World. The pharmaceutical/medicine industry is the biggest fraud. Say no to drugs! It's everyone's responsibility! Everybody wants a piece of Michael, he is worth more dead than alive. Joe Jackson is launching a cheesy line of perfumes with a French scam-artist Julian Rouas. Prince and Paris jackson are posing with the perfumes. See the sickening photos at, http://jacksontributefragrances.blogspot.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWith Benzodiacepines, you need giving tenths of times the ordinary dose to start having any kind of problem, and without another drug, for example alcohol, even a high benzodiazepine overdose is not probably going to cause serious problems, just an sleep longer than usual, ordinarily no more, even if you mix several of them. It's quite difficult to die just on benzodiacepines, another more powerful drug or toxicity adding drug uses to be involved in such cases.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSounds as if Michael was an accident ready to die. Too bad for his so-called personal physician that he was nearby at the time of death.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDr. Murray was there only to provide the drugs. Michael probably knew more about the drugs than he did but didn't have a license to write prescriptions.
Murray has a problem with his "accident" defense! Why, if he did nothing wrong, did he feel motivated to tape record Micheal "demanding" the drug?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMost accidents are not pre-taped for play at trial.
A few years ago while being prepped for a colonoscopy I asked the anesthesiologist what drug he would be administering and the reply was Propofol.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wonder if I'll question the use of that drug when next I need to be tested. Too much controversy makes for a nervous patient.
There is no requirement for anesthesia during a colonoscopy. There are better outcome without anesthesias, primarily due to less perforations. Sometimes if polyps are found, the patient is later informed, permission for removal sought and the money earning exercise is repeated. Ensure that all permission are given and signed for before the procedure starts.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIts (anesthesia's) main purposes is to reduce culturally learned embarrassment for all parties and reduce the witnessability to negligence.