Cause of Natasha Richardson’s death was bleeding on brain caused by fall

This was posted online one hour ago:

NEW YORK (AP)—The New York City medical examiner’s office says actress Natasha Richardson died of blunt impact to the head. Medical examiner spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said the death was ruled an accident. The cause of death was “epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head.”

Here is explanation of epidural hemadoma at Wikipedia:

Epidural or extradural hematoma is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in which a buildup of blood occurs between the dura mater (the tough outer membrane of the central nervous system) and the skull. The dura mater also covers the spine, so epidural bleeds may also occur in the spinal column. Often due to trauma, the condition is potentially deadly because the buildup of blood may increase pressure in the intracranial space and compress delicate brain tissue. The condition is present in one to three percent of head injuries.Between 15 and 20% of patients with epidural hematomas die of the injury.

It seems to me that for a tumble on a beginner’s ski slope to cause such an injury to the brain, Richardson must have had some prior vulnerability there, a weak blood vessel or something of that nature. If a mild blow on the head were a normal cause of death, we’d all be dead.

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Charles T. writes:

An acquaintance related to me today that a person in our area died recently from a cerebral aneurysm. There was no blow to the head. This person started feeling badly during mid-day, was rushed to the hospital, and died the next day. Very tragic.

Daniel H. writes:

Five years ago, or so, on a Saturday afternoon I received a frantic phone call from my sister in law. Could I please get over to a hospital in Hackensack, NJ as fast as possible. Her father, while doing yard work, had taken a fall off of a step ladder and was being rushed to the hospital emergency room. Could I meet her mother there and tend to her father. Well, when I got there, all was too late. The gentleman was already brain dead. Nothing could be done. He did not take a great fall. He fell off a step ladder, a few feet or so, while cleaning the gutters of a ranch house. He fell onto the area where shrubs were planted near the base of the house and struck his upper should and head on the loamy soil. He said that he was OK. No bruise, no bump, no bleeding. He went into the house, sat down, ate his lunch and said that he would go and lie down a little before returning to the yard to continue with the work. Half hour later his wife went to check on him and she couldn’t rouse him. She called the ambulance and my sister in law and that is where I came into the story. As I mentioned, by the time I got there he was brain dead. The doctor showed me the x ray. By the x ray I could see that the cerebral septum—the viscera that divides the brain hemispheres—was pushed all the way over to one side, indicating massive bleeding and swelling. There was no brain activity. From looking at the man you could not determine this. He was on a respirator breathing and looking like he was sleeping soundly and peacefully. Not a mark on him.

Now here is where the note of caution comes in. The doctor speculated that even if he had been rushed to the hospital right after the fall there would have been nothing that could have been done to save him. Reason? The man was on cholesterol fighting drugs, which thin the blood considerably. Lesson. Know what drugs you are taking and be very alert to how they may affect your response to trauma, especially head trauma. Even if you are not on drugs, be save rather than sorry where head trauma is involved. NEVER TAKE ASPERIN after head trauma.

I feel bad for the woman and her family. But such is the order of life. I will say a prayer.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 19, 2009 03:25 PM | Send