Gov. Corzine Still Critical, Breathing With Ventilator

[bigtree]

Apr 19, 2007 12:07 pm US/Eastern

CBS/AP) TRENTON, N.J.

{snip}

The next expected recovery milestone would come when the governor is breathing well enough on his own to have a breathing tube removed. Until then, he will not be able to speak and will not be able to have his condition upgraded from critical but stable.

As of Wednesday, doctors said, he was getting eight breathes a minute from the machine and taking in an additional six per minute on his own. The ventilator would remain in place until he does not need it at all, doctors said.

An average healthy person take about 16 breaths a minute.

Dr. Steven Ross, head of trauma at the hospital, would not predict how long it might be before Corzine could breathe completely on his own, but said he hoped it would be a matter of days, not weeks.

He broke his left thigh bone in two places -- requiring three surgeries so far -- as well as 11 ribs, his breastbone and collarbone. He also fractured a vertebra and has a laceration on his head.

His didn't suffer brain damage or injuries to internal organs and is not paralyzed, his doctors said. His brain function is as good as anyone's could be while on a ventilator, they added.

When Corzine first arrived at the hospital, doctors said he was able to talk about the accident. But soon, the breathing tube was inserted into his throat and he has not been able to speak since. However, he can communicate by nodding his head.

Besides the three surgeries on his broken leg, doctors have inserted tubes into his chest to drain fluid from his lungs. They have also put catheters into his back to deliver a local anesthetic to the area around his broken ribs.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_109120426.html

[quiet.american]

1. My God, his injuries are horrible. Amazing he survived. n/t

[TwilightGardener]

2. He will be weaned off the vent shortly, I predict. They won't want

to leave that tube in there very long--could lead to pneumonia, and they probably won't want to give him a trach. He must have suffered quite a lot of chest trauma with 12 fractured ribs--hope his pain control is effective.

[kestrel91316]

3. VERY nasty chest injury. 12 ribs plus sternum. He may or may not have

what they call "flail chest".

[bigtree]

4. he can get an external one can't he?

he seems to have good enough alertness to maintain it, strapped on

[TwilightGardener]

8. CPAP--I don't know if he is to that point yet--he may require so

much sedation and pain relief just to expand his chest to breathe that they don't trust him yet to be fully in command of gas exchange--too gorked.

[Eurobabe]

5. This is really awful, my neighbor broke 5 ribs in a motorcycle accident last month

and he was in the hospital for over a week. He STILL has to be careful.

Get well soon Gov. Corzine.

[windbreeze]

6. I am definitely a sissy....I had one broken rib...the pain was

excruciating when I did it...I actually passed out...and for weeks afterward it hurt to move, breathe, sneeze, cough..omg...only broken bone I ever had...cannot imagine having 11 of them in that condition, plus broken sternum/collarbone...along with all the rest of those injuries...I hope he has good strong medication..wishing him well...and sympathizing mightily..
windbreeze

[redwitch]

9. me too.

My rib is still recovering and if I sleep in certain positions the discomfort still wakes me up. A month later. This poor man will be hurting for a very long time. Seat belts people!

[Zynx]

7. Don't have your driver go really fast, especially when not wearing a belt

Guy is lucky to be alive at all.

[Cha]

10. Totally Lucky and I'm thinking Guv

Corzine is one tough Dude!

Glad you're lying there recovering Governor Corzine!