Injured Football Player

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Sunday, a running back (Kevin Everett, Buffalo Bills) was seriously injured in a helmet to helmet tackle. Players said that he did not move following the hit. He has had surgery, fixated the break, and now they wait to discover what the final outcome is. The injury is described as "catastrophic." If he were my son, I would have him on a plane to China for stem cell implants, ASAP. What say you?

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

Not to mention the pet food debacle!

Will definitely include my prayers as well.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I threw away all my son's toys that were made in China. Edited to say that there was a chance it might help my son walk again, I'd fly anywhere in the world.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Sunday, a running back (Kevin Everett, Buffalo Bills) was seriously injured in a helmet to helmet tackle. Players said that he did not move following the hit. He has had surgery, fixated the break, and now they wait to discover what the final outcome is. The injury is described as "catastrophic." If he were my son, I would have him on a plane to China for stem cell implants, ASAP. What say you?

The last thing they need to do would be to put him on a plane. Long travel after such and injury, and surgery? Bad idea.

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I was at the game and it is indeed sad. there is all this news and swarming of prayers and well wishers stopping by the hospital....gee i hope that the people are saying prayers and well wishes for all of the other hundreds of people that are in the same hospital and not getting the same coverage or support.

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

I just heard on the news that they treated him by cooling the spinal cord, and they sounded more hopeful about his prognosis.

I hope that turns out to be the case.

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

This is a terrible injury and my heart goes out to him and his family. That being said, I don't know if I could send my son to be a lab rat for health professionals in a country with a history of morally objectionable human rights practices.

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Some very encouraging news......

"Kevin Everett voluntarily moved his arms and legs on Tuesday when partially awakened, prompting a neurosurgeon to say the Buffalo Bills' tight end would walk again--contray to the grim prognosis given a day before."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/09/11/bills.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

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I just heard on the news that they treated him by cooling the spinal cord, and they sounded more hopeful about his prognosis.

It was reported they began to lower his body temp (to 92) almost immediately, during the ambulance ride to the hospital. Is this standard practice in cord injuries? I have no EMS/ED experience; just curious.

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

I wonder if it's a new protocol or a study. If so, sounds promising. Nothing like getting "cutting edge" therapy out there quick!!

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I wonder if it's a new protocol or a study. If so, sounds promising. Nothing like getting "cutting edge" therapy out there quick!!

I found this on a google search:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sci/detail_sci.htm

Clinical investigators are also looking at how cooling the body protects surviving spinal cord tissue and nerve cells. Experiments have shown that cooling the body to a state of mild hypothermia (about 92° F) for several hours immediately following the injury limits damage and promotes functional recovery. Researchers aren't yet sure why mild hypothermia is neuroprotective, but the ability of body temperature to affect many different kinds of physiological mechanisms may be one of the reasons.

http://www.sci-info-pages.com/2006/05/lowering-body-temp-shows-promise-for.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1006512&dopt=AbstractPlus

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12686402&dopt=AbstractPlus

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Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

ya know---just how cool is this???

There was a research protocol a while back for minimizing brain damage after neonatal asphyxiation/depression. They cooled just the brain w/a sort of cap. I'm not in a Level 3 NICU any more, but I don't think it progressed to actual treatment modality. Sometimes things work in babies that don't work in adults (ECMO) and sometimes it's the other way around, I guess.

Anyway, I hope it works for this guy.

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The last thing they need to do would be to put him on a plane. Long travel after such and injury, and surgery? Bad idea.

I thought so too. I did read he is moving his arms now, so I hope that he will recover more fully than was first thought.

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