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cali

(114,904 posts)
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 06:42 PM Apr 2013

Boston bombings: Officer lost all blood but is expected to recover

-- A Boston officer shot and wounded in pursuit of the marathon bombing suspects last week had to be resuscitated after his heart stopped and he lost his entire blood supply, but doctors and relatives on Sunday said he was emerging from sedation and expected to recover.

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Officer Richard “Dick” Donohue Jr., 33, of Woburn, Mass., had served with the department for three years when he responded to a call Friday for assistance after a shooting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, officials said. They said it was not clear whether Donohue knew at the time that the MIT officer who had been shot and killed was a friend of his, Sean Collier.

Donohue emerged from his police car and exchanged fire with the suspects before he was shot in the right thigh, officials said. A bullet severed his femoral vein and artery, and Donohue began to bleed out, doctors said.


“CPR was started in the field, and he required a prolonged resuscitation that started at the scene and at our emergency room,” said Dr. David Miller, a critical care doctor at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, during a Sunday briefing at the hospital.

<snip>

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-boston-bombings-mbta-officer-condition-20130421,0,6889893.story

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Boston bombings: Officer lost all blood but is expected to recover (Original Post) cali Apr 2013 OP
Goddamn. That is amazing. Brickbat Apr 2013 #1
wow amazing lost entire blood supply nt steve2470 Apr 2013 #2
wow that type of wound brings death quickly Heather MC Apr 2013 #3
I never knew that was possible. tblue Apr 2013 #4
I didn't either Ruby the Liberal Apr 2013 #7
He was being transfused alcibiades_mystery Apr 2013 #10
Doh! Ruby the Liberal Apr 2013 #12
We're not talking about Dick Cheney here. Paulie Apr 2013 #13
!! Ruby the Liberal Apr 2013 #15
Hopefully, his brain didn't sustain too much injury cleduc Apr 2013 #5
I presume transfusions began long before he lost all of his own blood. gristy Apr 2013 #6
I believe this the more likely scenario. GiveMeFreedom Apr 2013 #9
Yes, that would be my guess as well alcibiades_mystery Apr 2013 #11
Wow! That is amazing. avebury Apr 2013 #8
Holy hell. Modern medicine. nt MOTRDemocrat Apr 2013 #14

tblue

(16,350 posts)
4. I never knew that was possible.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 06:51 PM
Apr 2013

To lose all your blood and still survive. Thank heaven he's gonna pull through. I am determined to give blood this week.

Ruby the Liberal

(26,219 posts)
7. I didn't either
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 07:56 PM
Apr 2013

You beat me to it. Didn't even know that was possible. I wonder what the complications are (brain damage from lack of ozygen circulating?) Here's hoping he walks away from this unscathed. Femoral artery wounds are no joke. You can bleed out in minutes from that.

 

alcibiades_mystery

(36,437 posts)
10. He was being transfused
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 08:47 PM
Apr 2013

I suspect they mean he lost the human adult male average blood quantity, not that he didn't have any blood running through him.

gristy

(10,667 posts)
6. I presume transfusions began long before he lost all of his own blood.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 07:38 PM
Apr 2013

Maybe the article is simply noting that he received an amount of blood equal to what the human body typically has (~6 quarts).

GiveMeFreedom

(976 posts)
9. I believe this the more likely scenario.
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 08:44 PM
Apr 2013

I read on DU that some organs are damaged when they deflate from loss of blood pressure, other than the heart. Makes sense that this was not the case. I am sure he was on some kind of plasma within a short time after he was shot? Peace.

 

alcibiades_mystery

(36,437 posts)
11. Yes, that would be my guess as well
Sun Apr 21, 2013, 08:48 PM
Apr 2013

He required tranfusions equaling his pre-wound blood quantity, etc.

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