Posted on 04/18/2007 7:18:44 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(AP) CAMDEN, N.J. -- Gov. Jon S. Corzine was in too much pain to breathe without a ventilator, doctors said Wednesday, as he approached a week in an intensive care unit following an April 12 car crash.
An anesthesiologist at Cooper University Hospital inserted catheters near Corzine's 11 broken ribs Wednesday to give him a different type of pain treatment in the hope that would help him breathe completely on his own sooner.
When doctors described that procedure Wednesday, it seemed clear that Corzine, a one-time Marine they described as a "pretty tough guy," was not likely have a miraculously quick recovery from his severe injuries. He remained in critical but stable condition.
He was "clearly in too much pain to tolerate it" when doctors had reduced the drips of morphine Corzine was getting, said Dr. Steven Ross, the head of trauma at the hospital. "Like any patient, we don't want him to suffer."
Ross 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.
Corzine was riding in the front passenger seat of a Chevrolet Suburban on the Garden State Parkway last week with a state trooper behind the wheel when the vehicle was clipped by another driver swerving to avoid a third vehicle and veered into a guard rail.
The governor's SUV was traveling 91 mph seconds before the crash and Corzine was not wearing a seat belt, officials have said.
In addition to the broken ribs, Corzine's left thigh bone, breastbone and collarbone were broken. He also had a fractured vertebra and a laceration on his head.
But he did not have damage to his brain or other internal organs and was not paralyzed, his doctors said. His brain function is as good as anyone's could be while on a ventilator, they said.
When Corzine first arrived at the hospital, doctors said, he was able to talk about the accident. But soon, a breathing tube was inserted into his throat and he has not been able to speak since, though he can communicate by nodding his head.
On Monday, a surgeon performed a third and final scheduled surgery on the broken leg. After that, doctors began focusing on the governor's breathing.
By Wednesday, Ross said, the ventilator was set to give Corzine eight breaths each minute. He was taking about six breaths per minute beyond that on his own.
But Ross said that when doctors reduced the amount of morphine, a general narcotic, Corzine was in obvious pain: He grimaced, his blood pressure rose and his breathing became more labored.
On Wednesday, a doctor put two catheters into Corzine's back to deliver a local anesthesia to the nerves that sense pain from his ribs. The drug, unlike morphine, should not impair his motor function, said Dr. Michael Goldberg, the chief of anesthesiology at Cooper.
Goldberg said the catheters would remain below the skin in the governor's back between five and 10 days. The catheters do bring a risk of infection, he said.
Ross said Corzine is on a relatively small dose of morphine, delivered through a constant drip.
Breathing on his own would be a major milestone for Corzine's recovery, which is expected to take months. Doctors said his bones would heal in about three months, but it could take another three months before he can walk without a cane.
Dr. Simon Samaha, chief medical officer at Cooper, said that except for those who are chronically dependent on ventilators, patients on ventilators cannot be upgraded from critical condition.
The longer a patient is on a ventilator, the greater the risk, said Dr. Phillip Factor, director of the Columbia University Medical Center's medical intensive care unit. Possible complications include contracting pneumonia from the ventilator, infection and blood clots.
Ross said recovery could be slowed if the ventilator is removed too early.
The day after the crash, Corzine's chief of staff said he hoped he would be able to take the reins of the state government from the acting governor, state Senate President Richard J. Codey, within a week or so.
Now, the governor's top staffers are settling in to the idea that Corzine won't be back so soon.
"He's going to get there on his own time," said Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley.
Seatbelts are our friends, as are the posted speed limits.
Some laws aren’t meant for just the little people. Live and learn.
After seeing the difficulty mr. mm had recovering from a simple, uncomplicated broken leg, I can just imagine what he’s going through right now, and Corzine ain’t no spring chicken. The longer he’s in bed, the harder it’s going to be to get back on his feet.
With any luck, there will be somebody there when he comes around to serve him with a summons.
Mr. mm?? I thought you were going to say Barbaro.
The laws of physics apply to everyone. Corzine got a nasty reminder of that, and is very lucky he lived to learn the lesson.
NJ doesn’t have a lieutenant governor. The president of the Senate becomes Acting Governor. The D’s control both houses of the legislature.
I don’t feel sorry for the idiot.
Jeepers. This guy is in really bad shape. Prayers up for a good recovery.
Much as I hate to put it on, seat belts save lives. But you have to ask yourself, putting intrusions on our rights aside (they are intruded upon all the time anyway) why is seat belt use optional anyway? I mean, air bags aren’t optional, safety glass isn’t optional, antilock brakes aren’t optional. What’s the deal with seat belts?
Even some younger folks have trouble weaning off of a vent with a lot of fractured ribs and a fractured sternum.
I was on a ventilator for 7 days after my bypass and graft. It was not loads of fun.
Was he driving or did he have a driver?
The amazing thing about this episode … the vehicle was being driven by a state trooper, he should have known better (seat belt thingy if nothing else). But, you do what the boss says, or else. Wonder how his career will be going from this point on?
I hope he recovers soon. He’s lucky he wasn’t killed.
I imagine the driver was cited, no? Or maybe that kind of treatment is reserved for the little people who pay these clowns
Corzine’s vehicle was driven by a trooper? At 91 mph?
As I ask this fairly mundane technical question, I have a hard time. Here lies a man who lives his live in a cocoon -- "one law for thee, none for me".
Still, my medical question is: What treatment? Heavy steroids directly under the ribs?
Hmmmm ....
Relative to what?
I’ll pray that he and the trooper driving him survive their stupidity.
That shouldn’t be mistaken for sympathy.
It’s got to be hard to swallow realizing that you’re not above the law for a change.
All that being said, I didn't know that he was quite this bad off and I hope he fully recovers. I wouldn't be broken hearted, however, if he decided to retire early after said full recovery.
As I recall the earlier post said that he was going 90 at some point before the crash, but not “seconds before the crash.”
That is totally insane. There are stretches of the parkway where you could do that in reasonable safety, but the crash site certainly is not one of them. If it was where I think it was, with curves, overpasses, and ramps exiting and exiting on both sides along that stretch, 50 MPH would have been too fast, especially if there was traffic ahead and a truck in the breakdown lane as well.
During the period I was intubated and on a ventilator I was conscious. Attempts to wean were unsuccessful using hospital protocol. I finally took matters into my own hands, deflated the cuff and extubated myself.
Maybe he is in 4 point restraints!
ONLY ONE month ago, N.J. Gov. John Corzine gave a eulogy for one Janet Brown, a chic and much-loved woman who owned a famous dress shop in Port Washington. Janet was friends with many famous New Yorkers. But she skidded on ice on the Northern Parkway in a storm and went through the windshield, dying in the hospital later. She was not wearing a seat belt. If only the governor, now in critical condition himself from not wearing a seat belt, had taken a lesson from her untimely death.
So who was driving? If it was a trooper, was he buckled in and how is he?
Interesting.
May have been better, considering his present condition. Hope he comes out of this ok.
His politics aside, no one should rejoice in another's suffering..............especially this much suffering.
He is in really bad shape, and will be in pain for a long time. Maybe for the rest of his life.
we can only hope this is a learning experience for the FPOS...
Yes, yes, and fine.
Do you know how old he is?
State trooper, who denied that “speed was a factor” until the vehicle’s data recorder showed otherwise.
All that because he thought it was important to meet Imus. talk about a valuable life lesson...
Corazine will be just fine after a few months of recovery, he’s a tough old bastard. Those ribs are going to be painful for quite a while though, even a man in his 20’s would have problems dealing with that.
I hate both, but sometimes use at least one of them.
And the story is he was in the front seat but ended up in the back seat next to his cheerleader/homecoming queen 25 year old personal assistant who for a long time has taken care of his personal needs. The Democrat damage control machine is taking good care of her.
We use wrist restraints if we aren't sure of the pt's intentions.
FWIW-
Speed kills or takes your breath away
I hope they give him a big fat ticket for not wearing his seatbelt
Do as I say, not as I do! Sometimes things come back to bite you in the buttocks.
Wow! I hope his job is on the line for this.
The man has a broken collar bone, broken breast bone, twelve broken ribs, his scalp was torn when he hit the windshield, he has a broken vertebrae. He lost half his blood.
The pain to breathe must be excruciating. If he hadn’t been rushed to a level 1 trauma hospital it’s likely he would not have survived the accident in the first place.
The hospital has not been truthful about the extent of his injuries from the start. Not sure who has made those decisions but like the trooper, these people do what they’re told.
Pathetic!
You must be in the bidness....
The laws of physics apply to everyone. Corzine got a nasty reminder of that, and is very lucky he lived to learn the lesson.
Hmmm...interesting twist.
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