More doctors questioning Kelly "suicide" evidence

[JohnyCanuck]

The Kelly "suicide" never past the smell test with me from day one. But what do I know. I'm just another :tinfoilhat: A few weeks ago there were some news stories of some medical people in England questioning how the evidence presented at the inquest could have been interpreted as pointing to suicide and asking that the inquest be reopened.

They've recently published a letter in the Guardian detailing their concerns. A few more medical people have come forward to sign the letter as well, including a vascular surgeon and a pathologist.


On February 10, Dr Rouse wrote to the BMJ explaining that he and his colleague, Yaser Adi, had spent 100 hours preparing a report, Hutton, Kelly and the Missing Epidemiology. They concluded that "the identified evidence does not support the view that wrist-slash deaths are common (or indeed possible)". While Professor Chris Milroy, in a letter to the BMJ, responded, "unlikely does not make it impossible", Dr Rouse replied: "Before most of us will be prepared to accept wristslashing ... as a satisfactory and credible explanation for a death, we will also require evidence that such aetiologies are likely; not merely 'possible'. "

Our criticism of the Hutton report is that its verdict of "suicide" is an inappropriate finding. To bleed to death from a transected artery goes against classical medical teaching, which is that a transected artery retracts, narrows, clots and stops bleeding within minutes. Even if a person continues to bleed, the body compensates for the loss of blood through vasoconstriction (closing down of non-essential arteries). This allows a partially exsanguinated individual to live for many hours, even days.

<snip>

We believe the verdict given is in contradiction to medical teaching; is at variance with documented cases of wrist-slash suicides; and does not align itself with the evidence presented at the inquiry. We call for the reopening of the inquest by the coroner, where a jury may be called and evidence taken on oath.
Andrew Rouse
Public health consultant
Searle Sennett
Specialist in anaesthesiology
David Halpin
Specialist in trauma
Stephen Frost
Specialist in radiology
Dr Peter Fletcher
Specialist in pathology
Martin Birnstingl
Specialist in vascular surgery

www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4856799-103683,00.html

[Minstrel Boy]

1. Thanks for posting this.

M'lud, Dr Kelly slashed his wrist and bled to death - No. Bleeding to death "from a transected artery goes against classical medical teaching."

Right then. M'lud, Dr Kelly overdosed on co-proxamol - Hardly. The toxicogist on the case considered the levels "nowhere near toxic."

Would you believe, M'lud, er...ischaemic heart disease? - You serious? "No changes attributable to myocardial ischaemia were actually found at autopsy."

um...

[JohnyCanuck]

2. You're welcome Minstrel Boy n/t

n/t

[Must_B_Free]

3. Was never a believable excuse in the first place.

Tony Blair - the bell is starting to toll for you.

[JohnyCanuck]

4. I didn't think it was either n/t

n/t