Saturday, September 24, 2016

Rodricus Crawford: Death Row; Louisiana: Timely New York Times story by reporter Roni Caryn Rabin (published September 19) could help save Rodricus Crawford's life; It's headed, "Could it be sepsis? C.D.C. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) wants more people to ask," - and makes the point that there is so much ignorance about sepsis as a cause of mortality in the USA - including infant mortality - that "The C.D.C. is aiming efforts at health care providers, urging them to consider sepsis and act quickly, and investing in research to study risk factors. It is also emphasizing prevention through better management of chronic diseases, vaccinations and appropriate use of antibiotics."........."The baby seemed fine when Dr. Thomas R. Frieden left for work that July morning in New York more than 20 years ago. But when he returned home several hours later, his son was pale and blazing hot, limp in his wife’s arms. “My first thought was that he was dead,” said Dr. Frieden, now the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It was so scary, even for someone trained as a physician, to see how quickly someone who’s healthy can become critically ill.” Dr. Frieden, an infectious diseases specialist, knew time was of the essence. His hunch, which turned out to be correct, was that his son had developed sepsis, a life-threatening condition triggered by an infection that can very quickly spiral out of control. He called the child’s pediatrician, and within hours, the infant had received a broad-spectrum antibiotic. He recovered within a few days. Many patients are not so fortunate. Between one million and three million Americans are given diagnoses of sepsis each year, and 15 percent to 30 percent of them will die, Dr. Frieden said. Sepsis most commonly affects people over 65, but children are also susceptible. According to one estimate, more than 42,000 children develop sepsis in the United States every year, and 4,400 die."........."Sepsis is a contributing factor in up to half of all hospital deaths, but it’s often not listed as the cause of death because it often develops as a complication of another serious underlying disease like cancer. So although death certificates list sepsis as a cause in 146,000 to 159,000 deaths a year, a recent report estimated that it could play a role in as many as 381,000. Yet advocacy organizations say many Americans have never heard of sepsis and don’t know the signs and symptoms."........."The new campaign was spurred in part by the latest C.D.C. study, which examined the hospital records of 246 adults and 79 children, finding that in nearly 80 percent of cases, sepsis had started when the patient was at home. The study also shed light on who is most susceptible to sepsis. Though it occurs most often in people over 65, infants under the age of 1 are also susceptible, as are people with chronic diseases like diabetes or immune systems weakened from tobacco use, for example. And healthy people can develop sepsis from an infection that’s not treated properly as well."..."The new C.D.C. study found sepsis is most often associated with lung, urinary tract, skin and gut or intestinal infections, and that many sepsis patients had visited a doctor or been in a health care setting before developing the infection."..."Dr. Frieden said he wanted to share his personal experience with sepsis so people would have a better understanding of the condition. He encourages vaccinating against the infection that caused his son’s sepsis, which was pneumococcus. There was no vaccine available at the time, but it has since been developed. “I’m like the thousands of parents and loved ones who experience this every year,” Dr. Frieden said. His son “could have died from it. And far too many people do die from sepsis today.” Reporter Roni Caryn Rabin; New York Times.


COUNTDOWN: 12 days to Wrongful Conviction Day: (Thursday October 6, 2016);


STORY: "Could it be Sepsis? C.D.C. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)  wants more people to ask," by Roni Caryn Rabin,  published by The New York Times on September 19, 2016.

PHOTO CAPTION: "Dr. Thomas Frieden, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, holds a photo with his infant son who developed sepsis 20 years ago. Credit Kevin D. Liles for The New York Times."

PHOTO CAPTION:  "Dr. Thomas Frieden, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wants sepsis to become a household word to get at-risk patients medical treatment sooner. Credit Kevin D. Liles for The New York Times."

GIST: "The baby seemed fine when Dr. Thomas R. Frieden left for work that July morning in New York more than 20 years ago. But when he returned home several hours later, his son was pale and blazing hot, limp in his wife’s arms. “My first thought was that he was dead,” said Dr. Frieden, now the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It was so scary, even for someone trained as a physician, to see how quickly someone who’s healthy can become critically ill.” Dr. Frieden, an infectious diseases specialist, knew time was of the essence. His hunch, which turned out to be correct, was that his son had developed sepsis, a life-threatening condition triggered by an infection that can very quickly spiral out of control. He called the child’s pediatrician, and within hours, the infant had received a broad-spectrum antibiotic. He recovered within a few days. Many patients are not so fortunate. Between one million and three million Americans are given diagnoses of sepsis each year, and 15 percent to 30 percent of them will die, Dr. Frieden said. Sepsis most commonly affects people over 65, but children are also susceptible. According to one estimate, more than 42,000 children develop sepsis in the United States every year, and 4,400 die. Sepsis develops when the body mounts an overwhelming attack against an infection that can cause inflammation in the entire body. When that happens, the body undergoes a cascade of changes, including blood clots and leaky blood vessels that impede blood flow to organs. Blood pressure drops, multiple organs can fail, the heart is affected, and death can result. “Your body has an army to fight infections,” said Dr. Jim O’Brien, the chairman of Sepsis Alliance. “With sepsis, your body starts suffering from friendly fire.” Sepsis appears to be rising. The rate of hospitalizations that listed sepsis as the primary illness more than doubled between 2000 and 2008, according to a 2011 C.D.C. study, which attributed the increase to factors like the aging of the population, a rise in antibiotic resistance and, to some extent, better diagnosis. Sepsis is a contributing factor in up to half of all hospital deaths, but it’s often not listed as the cause of death because it often develops as a complication of another serious underlying disease like cancer. So although death certificates list sepsis as a cause in 146,000 to 159,000 deaths a year, a recent report estimated that it could play a role in as many as 381,000. Yet advocacy organizations say many Americans have never heard of sepsis and don’t know the signs and symptoms. Ciaran and Orlaith Staunton, a Queens couple who lost their son Rory, a sixth-grader, to sepsis in 2012, discovered the condition was not even listed on the A to Z index of the C.D.C.’s website at the time. They met with Dr. Frieden and urged him to use his bully pulpit to educate Americans about the disease. Now the C.D.C. is starting a major public awareness campaign to make sepsis a household word. The first step is to teach people to seek treatment quickly when a loved one begins to show symptoms of sepsis, which include chills or fever; extreme pain or discomfort; clammy or sweaty skin; confusion or disorientation; shortness of breath; and a high heart rate. The campaign, which has developed educational fact sheets, encourages lay people to suggest the diagnosis to health care providers who may overlook it. Ask the doctor, “Could it be sepsis?” or say, “I’m worried about sepsis.” “We want people to be able to recognize sepsis just like they recognize a heart attack or stroke, and know they shouldn’t wait until Thursday when the doctor can see them, but go to the emergency room right away,” said Thomas Heymann, executive director of Sepsis Alliance. The group’s motto is, “Suspect sepsis, save lives.” When blood pressure drops and chokes blood flow to the body’s organs, a person can develop septic shock. For every hour without antibiotics, the probability of dying goes up by 8 percent, Dr. O’Brien said. While earlier initiatives have focused on reducing sepsis deaths that developed in hospitals, newer studies suggest most cases start in the community setting, before people are hospitalized. The new campaign was spurred in part by the latest C.D.C. study, which examined the hospital records of 246 adults and 79 children, finding that in nearly 80 percent of cases, sepsis had started when the patient was at home. The study also shed light on who is most susceptible to sepsis. Though it occurs most often in people over 65, infants under the age of 1 are also susceptible, as are people with chronic diseases like diabetes or immune systems weakened from tobacco use, for example. And healthy people can develop sepsis from an infection that’s not treated properly as well. The Stauntons’ son died after developing an infection that wasn’t recognized by emergency room doctors who examined him at NYU Langone Medical Center. A new state law passed after his death requires hospitals in New York to screen all patients for sepsis in order to start treatment early.  The C.D.C. is aiming efforts at health care providers, urging them to consider sepsis and act quickly, and investing in research to study risk factors. It is also emphasizing prevention through better management of chronic diseases, vaccinations and appropriate use of antibiotics. Dr. Frieden said he wanted to share his personal experience with sepsis so people would have a better understanding of the condition. He encourages vaccinating against the infection that caused his son’s sepsis, which was pneumococcus. There was no vaccine available at the time, but it has since been developed. “I’m like the thousands of parents and loved ones who experience this every year,” Dr. Frieden said. His son “could have died from it. And far too many people do die from sepsis today.”

The entire story can be found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/well/live/could-it-be-sepsis-cdc-wants-more-people-to-ask.html?mi_u=57629086&_r=0

See also a previous post of this Blog at the link below; (The affidavit provided for Rodricus Crawford's recent "actual innocence" appeal - decision reserved - by Dr. Phillip Fernsten,  who has had more than 17 years of experience evaluting immunological responses to vaccines)...")..."In summary, it is highly unlikely that Roderius Lott was fully protected against pneumonia or sepsis caused either by streptococcus pneumoniae or by a number of other pathogenic bacteria that cause these life-threatening infections in young children. There are numerous material errors in Dr. Traylor's (Prosecution witness HL)  testimony at trial regarding the children's succeptibility to pneumonia.""

Saturday, September 3, 2016


Rodricus Crawford; Louisiana death row. Part 15; Key document: Affidavit of Dr. Phillip Fernsten - more than 17 years of experience evaluting immunological responses to vaccines). Part of a series in anticipation of his appeal set for Wednesday (September 7)... "In summary, it is highly unlikely that Roderius Lott was fully protected against pneumonia or sepsis caused either by streptococcus pneumoniae or by a number of other pathogenic bacteria that cause these life-threatening infections in young children. There are numerous material errors in Dr. Traylor's testimony at trial regarding the children's succeptibility to pneumonia. 

DOCUMENT:   "The affidavit provided to the Rodricus Crawford's lawyers by Dr. Phillip Fernsten, who has more than 17 years experience evaluating immunological responses to vaccines."

GIST: "Based on my review of the materials provided to me, it is my opinion that the testimony of Dr. James G. Traylor, Jr, MD, at the trial of Rodicrus Crawford, contained material errors related to my area of expertise which were left unanswered by the State and defence. These areas are listed below. (It's a long list. HL)......... "In summary, it is highly unlikely that Roderius Lott was fully protected against pneumonia or sepsis caused either by streptococcus pneumoniae  or by a number of other pathogenic bacteria that cause these life-threatening infections in young children. There are numerous  material errors in Dr. Traylor's testimony at trial regarding the children's succeptibility to pneumonia."

The entire document can be found at:

https://rodricuscrawford.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/fernsten-affadavit-final-signed-notarized.pdf

 http://smithforensic.blogspot.ca/2016/09/rodricus-crawford-louisiana-death-row_3.html

See CDC alert at the link below: 'CDC urges Sepsis awareness.'

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgTQLTjrTqA&feature=youtu.be

See CDC Sepsis fact sheet at the link below; (Numerous resource materials);

 https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/

See 'The Advocate story on the September 7 'actual innocence' hearing at the link below: "Justice Jeannette Theriot Knoll cast perhaps the most doubt from the bench as she questioned Caddo Parish Assistant District Attorney Tommy Johnson over the office's decision to seek death for Crawford. "Is there any evidence he occasionally abused the child or was rough with the child?" Knoll asked. "No, your honor," Johnson responded. "Then how did the state come about (to the position) that this was a first-degree murder case, on circumstantial evidence, with a child that an autopsy had discovered had sepsis, and ask that this man be put to death on weak circumstances? You don't even have a motive," Knoll said.  Johnson responded that there was no proof the boy had sepsis at the trial. He acknowledged that prosecutors suggested a motive -- a rift with the mother of Crawford's older child -- but never backed it up with evidence."

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:  http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html  Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  
Harold Levy. Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.