[Driver] Michael Schumacher hurt in skiing accident.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Sky sources (yes, I know) reporting that Michael is "responding to basic instructions", which, whilst hardly a cause for massive celebration, is at least encouraging.

The awakening process is procedural... not good news or bad news. However, if this Sky News report is true, that is the first positive report we've had since the accident... and extremely good news.

[Knowlesy]

It'll be a few months before we know where Michael stands, so best to just wait I suppose.

But hard not to feel much happier about the situation today.

[MoMedic9019]

The long and short of this story is that it will be about about 5 days before he's fully awake at the earliest and provided he makes any sort of improvement.

At this point they've lightened the sedation enough for him to respond to simple commands, such as, open your eyes, or grab my hand. It's not going to be much beyond that for some time...these are low-level functions, remember that.

[Zico]

Does the fact that he was conscious after reaching the hospital after the fall mean we can afford to be a bit more positive about the outcome than if he was already in a coma... or is it more to do with the damage the swelling might have done and the surgery intrusion level?

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Zico

Does the fact that he was conscious after reaching the hospital after the fall mean we can afford to be a bit more positive about the outcome than if he was already in a coma... or is it more to do with the damage the swelling might have done and the surgery intrusion level?

I understand there was conciousness for a few minutes after the accident - which partially explains our confusion at the start of this thread - until the injures took hold. He was already unconscious when he was delivered by the helicopter to the hospital.

If he's going to be tightening his hands in response to commands and making small movements on verbal instruction than that will be some good news.

[Zico]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I understand there was conciousness for a few minutes after the accident - which partially explains our confusion at the start of this thread - until the injures took hold. He was already unconscious when he was delivered by the helicopter to the hospital.

If he's going to be tightening his hands in response to commands and making small movements on verbal instruction than that will be some good news.

Thanks for the correction of the facts as I'd actually read that he was still conscious on his arrival at the hospital.

Yes, that is indeed good news at this early stage. Now is the time for crossed fingers and prayers to be made while we all wait in hope for the best possible outcome.

[MoMedic9019]

Originally Posted by Zico

Does the fact that he was conscious after reaching the hospital after the fall mean we can afford to be a bit more positive about the outcome than if he was already in a coma... or is it more to do with the damage the swelling might have done and the surgery intrusion level?

So, lemme give you the basics..

He had multiple epidural hematomas. An epidural hematoma is a collection of blood between the dura mater(sometimes called the tough matter)it's the fibrous covering of the brain that carries the arterial blood supply. What happened is that the inside of the skull, which is actually very rough, cut a few of those arteries. What happens then is that the blood collects, sometimes slow, sometimes rapidly. The case here is that he was unconscious, followed by a time frame of being awake, then essentially, decompenstating into a period of unconsciousness.

The part where that all goes bad is if he would have bled enough to push the brain our of the skull through the magnum foramen(herniation), that's where the spinal cord enters the skull. If that occurs it's 100% fatal.

So, what was done here, is that a head CT or MRI showed the bleeds, and he was subsequently sedated, intubated, and placed on the ventilator. He would have then been taken to surgery to remove the trapped blood. That may have been a craniotomy, or a burr-hole. In extreme circumstances, the can remove portions of the skull, and allow the brain to swell through them, then replace those later on.

He will have been on sedation for brain rest and comfort, with a pressure bolt to measure severity of intra-cranial pressures, a constant EEG for brain activity and IV feeds.

Currently he likely has a tracheostomy, and will slowly be weaned from sedation to judge level of function. until he is fully weaned, we won't know level of dysfunction.

It may be serious, it may be something as simple as memory issues. The fact that he is responding is a great sign..but, it needs to be approached with great restraint. This may be the highest level of function he will ever have, then again, he may be back to drifting Ferrari's like the Stig in two years.

Very hard to say. I prefer the latter to the former, but, neuro injuries are damn near impossible to predict.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

So, lemme give you the basics..

He had multiple epidural hematomas. An epidural hematoma is a collection of blood between the dura mater(sometimes called the tough matter)it's the fibrous covering of the brain that carries the arterial blood supply. What happened is that the inside of the skull, which is actually very rough, cut a few of those arteries. What happens then is that the blood collects, sometimes slow, sometimes rapidly. The case here is that he was unconscious, followed by a time frame of being awake, then essentially, decompenstating into a period of unconsciousness.

The part where that all goes bad is if he would have bled enough to push the brain our of the skull through the magnum foramen(herniation), that's where the spinal cord enters the skull. If that occurs it's 100% fatal.

So, what was done here, is that a head CT or MRI showed the bleeds, and he was subsequently sedated, intubated, and placed on the ventilator. He would have then been taken to surgery to remove the trapped blood. That may have been a craniotomy, or a burr-hole. In extreme circumstances, the can remove portions of the skull, and allow the brain to swell through them, then replace those later on.

He will have been on sedation for brain rest and comfort, with a pressure bolt to measure severity of intra-cranial pressures, a constant EEG for brain activity and IV feeds.

Currently he likely has a tracheostomy, and will slowly be weaned from sedation to judge level of function. until he is fully weaned, we won't know level of dysfunction.

It may be serious, it may be something as simple as memory issues. The fact that he is responding is a great sign..but, it needs to be approached with great restraint. This may be the highest level of function he will ever have, then again, he may be back to drifting Ferrari's like the Stig in two years.

Very hard to say. I prefer the latter to the former, but, neuro injuries are damn near impossible to predict.

Thank you for your input.

[MoMedic9019]

For sure, I just want to dispel a whole ton of guessing...those are the basics in a nutshell.

[david5]

Thank you for making it understandable for an average person to understand too.

[migliacars]

Thanks for the information.
This has made it quite clear what has happened.

Im hoping he make a full recovery, Praying infact.

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Originally Posted by migliacars

Thanks for the information.
This has made it quite clear what has happened.

Im hoping he make a full recovery, Praying infact.

Agree.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by migliacars

Thanks for the information.
This has made it quite clear what has happened.

Im hoping he make a full recovery, Praying infact.

Anything is possible.

I had a motorcycle accident as a pillion in Nepal a year ago. No helmet so hit the road and split my head open (13 stitches) right temple at 50 -60 k. Head scans in hospital revealed left side (memory and speech) was bleeding between brain and skull.
The hospital waited rather than operate and memory started back 3 days after the accident, but speech and reasoning was not good at that time. I have no memory from about 30 minutes before the accident for the three days after but I was conscious, talking arguing, wanting to leave, tearing drips out of my arm, etc. I don't remember it but it happened.
When my memory started to function again behaviour returned to non violent, and I could not answer coherently but I began to think and longer term memory started to return.
Within 3 more days I was up wandering around intensive care pestering the nurses but behaving normally. After 10 days in ITU they sent me to a lesser ward but three days after that I was allowed to a friends place out of hospital and had a check up 10 days later. Then I was free to fly etc.

Within four weeks of the accident I was back on a bike and teaching rural seminars for up to 6 hours a day. No after effects from the accident at all although I have never recovered the 3 days memory of the accident or in the hospital.

Head injuries can be weird but as MoMedic said there is no way of predicting an outcome. My accident was far more serious than Schumi's and could have turned the other way. I have been told I was something of a miracle but the third world hospital was fantastic. The doctors are good, the nurses are great....

[Zico]

Originally Posted by MoMedic9019

So, lemme give you the basics..

He had multiple epidural hematomas. An epidural hematoma is a collection of blood between the dura mater(sometimes called the tough matter)it's the fibrous covering of the brain that carries the arterial blood supply. What happened is that the inside of the skull, which is actually very rough, cut a few of those arteries. What happens then is that the blood collects, sometimes slow, sometimes rapidly. The case here is that he was unconscious, followed by a time frame of being awake, then essentially, decompenstating into a period of unconsciousness.

The part where that all goes bad is if he would have bled enough to push the brain our of the skull through the magnum foramen(herniation), that's where the spinal cord enters the skull. If that occurs it's 100% fatal.

So, what was done here, is that a head CT or MRI showed the bleeds, and he was subsequently sedated, intubated, and placed on the ventilator. He would have then been gtaken to surgery to remove the trapped blood. That may have been a craniotomy, or a burr-hole. In extreme circumstances, the can remove portions of the skull, and allow the brain to swell through them, then replace those later on.

He will have been on sedation for brain rest and comfort, with a pressure bolt to measure severity of intra-cranial pressures, a constant EEG for brain activity and IV feeds.

Currently he likely has a tracheostomy, and will slowly be weaned from sedation to judge level of function. until he is fully weaned, we won't know level of dysfunction.

It may be serious, it may be something as simple as memory issues. The fact that he is responding is a great sign..but, it needs to be approached with great restraint. This may be the highest level of function he will ever have, then again, he may be back to drifting Ferrari's like the Stig in two years.

Very hard to say. I prefer the latter to the former, but, neuro injuries are damn near impossible to predict.

Thank you for the detailed explanation and for putting it in laymans terms for us... very helpful!

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Anything is possible.

I had a motorcycle accident as a pillion in Nepal a year ago. No helmet so hit the road and split my head open (13 stitches) right temple at 50 -60 k. .

Really glad your ok, but seriously dude, no helmet ??!!!!!! What the were you thinking ?

[davyboy]

In a very sad irony, one of Michael Schumacher's contemporaries in Junior Karting, 1982 World Champion, Romeo Deila died yesterday in Italy as a result of what's believed to have been an intracranial aneurysm. He was 47 years old.

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Originally Posted by davyboy

In a very sad irony, one of Michael Schumacher's contemporaries in Junior Karting, 1982 World Champion, Romeo Deila died yesterday in Italy as a result of what's believed to have been an intracranial aneurysm. He was 47 years old.

R.I.P. Romeo Deila.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Really glad your ok, but seriously dude, no helmet ??!!!!!! What the were you thinking ?

Very few people in Nepal and India wear crash helmets when riding pillion. Its usually unbearably hot and most riders wear them undone or some other fashion improperly anyway.
Bikes are usually 125's, 150's or 200's, nothing any bigger. I was asked to go to speak at a function and there was no other way there at that time. It's just life.... Someone was watching over me.

What is interesting is that I bought a helmet when I came out of hospital but I have never worn it because whenever I was riding pillion I never had the helmet with me... And they aren't convenient to carry or travel with.
Most travel insurance companies also have exclusion clauses if you have a bike accident or a bike accident without a helmet in Asia too.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Really glad your ok, but seriously dude, no helmet ??!!!!!! What the were you thinking ?

Seconded, despite Teretonga's defense above!

"If you've got a $10 head wear a $10 helmet!"

P.S. Still believe people should be made to wear helmets in cars!

[Razzzor]

Originally Posted by wnut

Seconded, despite Teretonga's defense above!

"If you've got a $10 head wear a $10 helmet!"

P.S. Still believe people should be made to wear helmets in cars!

I firmly believe car manufacturers should be made to build roll cages.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

I firmly believe car manufacturers should be made to build roll cages.

Oh so you aren't sold on the safety of coke can technology either!

No argument from me!

[garcon]

Bah. People are far too safety conscious these days.

[jhh911]

It has already been stated that wearing a helmet was the difference between life and death for Michael .Re comments about use of helmets for pillion riders.
When in India my wife and I both wear helmets on our scooter much to the amusement of the locals, who ask,why two helmets?Answer two heads!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alfaholic]

There's an interesting piece on the BBC about the challenges ahead...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26033972

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Alfaholic

There's an interesting piece on the BBC about the challenges ahead...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26033972

Thanks Alfaholic, speaking for myself, I only wish Michael and his family all the best, and it would be good to have some news of his progress!

I guess the truth is that the hoped for happy news that Michael is A OK or at least improving is at best some way off.

Just sad and concerned for him and his family, hoping for a miracle!