Thyroid - life and death

[helvella]

A heart-breaking story - and one which has a stunning mention of thyroid medication:

A lawyer for Hailu's father Fanuel Gebreyes lost a bid to stop brain electroencephalogram, or EEG, tests until after Hailu receives additional thyroid treatments that could boost her metabolism and better measure her condition.

dailymail.co.uk/news/articl...

He wants the judge to order her father to consent to another round of brain wave tests to determine if they satisfy the state's criteria for clinical death. Gebreyes has refused, instead insisting she be given thyroid medication and a tracheostomy so she can receive nutrition through her throat, not just fluids through an IV.

This is not a particularly good site:

app.newsgetter.com/go/?ng_u...

The reporting leaves me gasping - as it doesn't ask the right questions or provide the needed answers. It reads as if Hailu is not being given thyroid medication - but it isn't clear whether she was on any before the operation, or perhaps some medics are thinking it could be an additional thing to try.

[Clutter]

Helvella, tragic situation. Would have been helpful if the article explained whether, or how, improving metabolism with thyroid replacement and tube feeding rather than IV feeding could improve low brain activity.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Clutter]

I did a quick search but didn't find anything that added much. Sometimes with this type of reporting, a better report appears at some point. I was rather surprised it was a UK paper where I first saw it. Perhaps to do with press times and the timing of the release of information.

[greygoose]

I think she was on thyroid hormone replacement before the op, because it says :

"Doherty said she didn't have any evidence to conclude continued thyroid treatment would significantly alter results of tests to determine brain activity."

'Continued thyroid treatment' suggests she was on it previously.

And it seems to me that is she needed it before, she's only going to get worse in the future, without it.