After finishing the first part of the DMSO series (which explains how millions of permanent disabilities and deaths from strokes, traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries could have been prevented if the FDA hadn’t blacklisted DMSO), I decided to take a technology break. However, as I was drifting to bed last night, a lot of people began contacting me about a disaster that was unfolding in California.
What I find astounding about this case is that within minutes of looking into the limited information that was available, I was relatively certain of what happened, and now that her basic labs were posted online, it was indeed what happened. However, as best as I can tell, a fairly straightforward (conventional) diagnosis was missed and Alexis Lorenze has instead been put at risk of a life threatening injury.
I was initially in disbelief this was possible (and to an extent still am), but people directly connected to the situation confirmed this indeed is the case. As this case is an instructive example of medical blindness, I felt it would be helpful to share what happened.
Note: premier academic hospitals, while less likely to have a compassionate and caring relationship with their patients, are normally better at recognizing less common diagnoses and are typically equipped with the specialized services needed to address those situations—all of which makes me particularly surprised this was missed. To some extent, I am juxtaposing my understanding of the Midwestern academic centers onto this situation, so if you are directly familiar with the UC hospital system (particularly Irvine) and there’s is something I am missing here, please let me know.
Hellbound and Down 