William M. Hammesfahr, M.D: His report on Schiavo and a bit more.

[LittleClarkie]

that seems to indicate that she is not PVS, and also vaguely indicates that she may have been strangled toward the end of the report. This must be where the RW pundits are getting this idea that Michael Schiavo attacked his wife.

A link to his report from 2002:
http://www.tblog.com/templates/index.php?bid=stephen89702&static=424311

And here is also a link to Quackwatch, where Dr. Hammersfahr is listed as promoting questionable medical methods.
http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/

A direct link to the critique of his questionable health practices according to the site:
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/tcd.html

I found that interesting. Sorry for the one more Schiavo posting.

[Carolab]

1. Nutjob. Disregard. n/t

[LittleClarkie]

2. How outnumbered is he in his opinion of Terri's condition

Is he very nearly the only one who DOESN'T see PVS? Or were there more?

[Carolab]

3. Just him and "Dr. Frist" (based on his expert video diagnosis)...

as far as I know

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. OK allow me to pick apart this quack's report. I'd LOVE to cross ex him

1. His medical hisotry jumps from 1990 to 1998 with absolutely NO medical history in between. There is no history of ANY treatment or progress for 8 years. On the basis of this omission alone, his report is so lacking as to have any probative value.

2. He cites responsiveness by medical staff following the implant of a brain stimulator in 1990 but makes NO reference to any record in which this is demonstrated.

3. The language in the paragraph where he cites her multiple complications and infections, he attributes to a lack of care ordered by the husband, including sepsis. The language of that paragraph is 1) biased in that the husband cannot be expected to diagnose sepsis, 2) ambiguous in that it sounds as if the husband ORDERED the sepsis.

4. He states the patient was ALERT throughout his entire exam, something that is NOT POSSIBLE even if she is only brain DAMAGED, and an event NOT WITNESSED by any physician. Even her FAMILY acknowledges this is not so.

5. On sensory exam he notes she feels pain to pinch, but this patient who had contractures in her extremities exhibited NO TENDERNESS in her back even though she had been bedridden for 12 years at the time of his examination and he acknowledges SEVERE limitation of neck motion (note that he also states she demonstrates wheezing in the lungs, a finding associated with back tenderness often.)

This guy is a quack and his report is total conjecture. It is speculative and it is abundamtly clear why his report was not relied upon

[gumby]

5. You've got to see this

if you haven't.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200503290005

A neurologist that examined Schiavo is intervied on Scarboro's program. The good Dr. calls the hosts stupid and calls Hammesfahr a charlatan.

Good Stuff and there's a transcript.

[LittleClarkie]

6. And also someone named Dr. William Maxfield

who's involved in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. How reputable is that therapy. The good doctor doesn't seem to think much of it.

Someone, Frist maybe, refers to Dr. Cranford as someone who advocates Doctor Assisted Death. Looking at his background, all I see is alot of neurology degrees and ethics positions. So how much of a distortion or spin is it to refer to him as an advocate for Doctor Assisted Death?