News / International
Michael Jackson's doctor failed to tell paramedic about propofol
01 Oct 2011 at 07:59hrs | Views
According to SkyNews' Saturday publication, a paramedic who tried to save Michael Jackson's life has said the
singer's doctor failed to say he had given the star propofol - the
anaesthetic which killed him
Richard Senneff made the claim on day four of the trial of physician Conrad Murray , who is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Mr Senneff told the court in Los Angeles that Murray said Jackson "was not taking any medication" and never mentioned he had been giving the singer the powerful drug.
Murray admits administering the anaesthetic but denies the involuntary manslaughter charge.
His lawyers argue Jackson caused his own death by giving himself an extra dose of propofol, mixed with prescription sedatives, without Murray's knowledge.
The coroner said the pop star died from an overdose of propofol.
Mr Senneff, who was the first paramedic to reach the singer's bedroom - also claimed the information he received from Murray did not add up.
Mr Senneff said he arrived at Jackson's rented Holmby Hills mansion five minutes after a 911 emergency call was made on June 25, 2009, from the star's address.
He said, following the 911 call, paramedics received a message at 12.22pm saying a 50-year-old male was in cardiac arrest and receiving cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
"We grabbed the information, our apparatus and headed to the door to get into a rescue ambulance," Mr Senneff told the court in Los Angeles.
Soon after arriving at Jackson's house, Mr Senneff was joined by three other paramedics who worked to revive the singer.
The veteran paramedic said he found the star lying on the floor of his bedroom dressed in pyjamas and with a surgical cap on his head.
He described Jackson as "cool to the touch", his eyes "were open and dry" and he had an IV in his leg.
Mr Senneff commented on the star's stark physical appearance, saying he was "underweight" and seemed to be suffering from a "chronic illness".
He went on to say Murray, a trained cardiologist, was behaving in a "frantic" way.
The paramedic said he asked Murray about Jackson's underlying health condition but failed to get an immediate answer.
Mr Senneff said: "After prompting him a few times he responded and said there wasn't one.
"He said, 'Nothing. He has nothing'. Simply, that did not add up to me."
The paramedic said Murray later revealed Jackson was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, and he had only administered a small amount of a sedative called lorazepam.
Mr Senneff believed paramedics had a "good chance" of saving Jackson because Murray had told them the cardiac arrest had just happened and they had got to the singer quickly.
"I knew that we got there very, very quickly. It meant we'd have a good chance of restarting the heart if that was the issue," the paramedic said.
But despite multiple heart-starting medications and other efforts, Mr Senneff and his colleagues could not revive Jackson's lifeless body.
A second paramedic, Martin Blount, also told the court that Jackson seemed to have been dead for awhile by the time they arrived.
Martin Blount, who was responsible for getting air into Jackson's lungs, said he immediately conducted life-saving efforts but the singer was not breathing or moving and his eyes were "open, fixed and dilated".
He added there seemed to be "no sign of life" at any stage.
He also claimed he saw Murray pick up three bottles containing lidocaine, a local anaesthetic, from the floor near Jackson's bed.
"He scooped up three and put them into a black bag," he said.
Robert Johnson, an executive at a medical monitoring equipment firm called Nonin, also gave evidence.
He explained the workings of a piece of medical equipment called a pulse oximeter, which authorities recovered from Jackson's home after his death.
The fingertip device measures a person's heart rate and red blood cell content.
Prosecutors have said Murray lacked the proper monitoring and life-saving equipment when he was giving Jackson doses of propofol.
Mr Johnson told jurors the device had no audible alarm and is not intended to be used for continuous monitoring of patients.
One of Murray's former patients, Robert Russell, told the court about some frustrations he had in his dealings with Murray two years ago.
Mr Russell credited the doctor with saving his life after he had a heart attack, but said he later felt "abandoned" after Murray went to work for the Jackson family.
He said he contacted Murray's office on June 25, 2009, to get answers about his own treatment and received a voicemail from Murray at 11.49am saying he was going on sabbatical.
Prosecutors are using records to show that Murray was on the phone in the moments before he realised Jackson was unconscious.
Murray, 58, faces up to four years in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering the overdose of propofol, which Jackson referred to as "milk" to help him sleep.
The defence team for the doctor insists Jackson self-administered other sedatives, prompting the overdose.
Jackson, who was in Los Angeles rehearsing for a series of comeback shows in London, died at the age of 50.
Richard Senneff made the claim on day four of the trial of physician Conrad Murray , who is charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Mr Senneff told the court in Los Angeles that Murray said Jackson "was not taking any medication" and never mentioned he had been giving the singer the powerful drug.
Murray admits administering the anaesthetic but denies the involuntary manslaughter charge.
His lawyers argue Jackson caused his own death by giving himself an extra dose of propofol, mixed with prescription sedatives, without Murray's knowledge.
The coroner said the pop star died from an overdose of propofol.
Mr Senneff, who was the first paramedic to reach the singer's bedroom - also claimed the information he received from Murray did not add up.
Mr Senneff said he arrived at Jackson's rented Holmby Hills mansion five minutes after a 911 emergency call was made on June 25, 2009, from the star's address.
He said, following the 911 call, paramedics received a message at 12.22pm saying a 50-year-old male was in cardiac arrest and receiving cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
"We grabbed the information, our apparatus and headed to the door to get into a rescue ambulance," Mr Senneff told the court in Los Angeles.
Soon after arriving at Jackson's house, Mr Senneff was joined by three other paramedics who worked to revive the singer.
The veteran paramedic said he found the star lying on the floor of his bedroom dressed in pyjamas and with a surgical cap on his head.
He described Jackson as "cool to the touch", his eyes "were open and dry" and he had an IV in his leg.
Mr Senneff commented on the star's stark physical appearance, saying he was "underweight" and seemed to be suffering from a "chronic illness".
He went on to say Murray, a trained cardiologist, was behaving in a "frantic" way.
The paramedic said he asked Murray about Jackson's underlying health condition but failed to get an immediate answer.
Mr Senneff said: "After prompting him a few times he responded and said there wasn't one.
"He said, 'Nothing. He has nothing'. Simply, that did not add up to me."
The paramedic said Murray later revealed Jackson was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, and he had only administered a small amount of a sedative called lorazepam.
"I knew that we got there very, very quickly. It meant we'd have a good chance of restarting the heart if that was the issue," the paramedic said.
But despite multiple heart-starting medications and other efforts, Mr Senneff and his colleagues could not revive Jackson's lifeless body.
A second paramedic, Martin Blount, also told the court that Jackson seemed to have been dead for awhile by the time they arrived.
Martin Blount, who was responsible for getting air into Jackson's lungs, said he immediately conducted life-saving efforts but the singer was not breathing or moving and his eyes were "open, fixed and dilated".
He added there seemed to be "no sign of life" at any stage.
He also claimed he saw Murray pick up three bottles containing lidocaine, a local anaesthetic, from the floor near Jackson's bed.
"He scooped up three and put them into a black bag," he said.
Robert Johnson, an executive at a medical monitoring equipment firm called Nonin, also gave evidence.
He explained the workings of a piece of medical equipment called a pulse oximeter, which authorities recovered from Jackson's home after his death.
The fingertip device measures a person's heart rate and red blood cell content.
Prosecutors have said Murray lacked the proper monitoring and life-saving equipment when he was giving Jackson doses of propofol.
Mr Johnson told jurors the device had no audible alarm and is not intended to be used for continuous monitoring of patients.
One of Murray's former patients, Robert Russell, told the court about some frustrations he had in his dealings with Murray two years ago.
Mr Russell credited the doctor with saving his life after he had a heart attack, but said he later felt "abandoned" after Murray went to work for the Jackson family.
He said he contacted Murray's office on June 25, 2009, to get answers about his own treatment and received a voicemail from Murray at 11.49am saying he was going on sabbatical.
Prosecutors are using records to show that Murray was on the phone in the moments before he realised Jackson was unconscious.
Murray, 58, faces up to four years in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering the overdose of propofol, which Jackson referred to as "milk" to help him sleep.
The defence team for the doctor insists Jackson self-administered other sedatives, prompting the overdose.
Jackson, who was in Los Angeles rehearsing for a series of comeback shows in London, died at the age of 50.
Source - SkyNews
