UKC

Breaking news. Following his skiing accident earlier today in which he received a head injury, the hospital in Grenoble has just issued a statement saying that Schumacher is in a "critical condition"

Positive thoughts please.

Link here


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/michael-schumacher/1...

In reply to Trangia:

Seems the BBC disagrees...

Christophe Gernignon-Lecomte, director of the Meribel resort, said Schumacher "was a little shaken but conscious" after crashing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/25542340

Either way, he was setting a good example by wearing a helmet, especially as he was off piste and with his son. Please all whom will be skiing over the next two months remember that people die when not wearing a helmet, or conversely, people are saved when they wear helmets.*

*Also applies to cycling.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

That is the earlier article....BBC phone app headline now says critical!

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

and Sky News....

http://news.sky.com/story/1188296/michael-schumacher-in-critical-condition

In reply to An Triubhas:

Is it? I stand corrected and hope he makes a full recovery.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Said he had a brain hemorrhage in one report.. not good either way.. sounds like things deteriorated. In a coma but that could be induced.

In reply to IainRUK:


Which isn't a good sign either. Hopefully he'll be ok.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Not necessarily good advice.. ..think about it / read about it and make your own decision! Certainly not advice with established evidence behind it. Helmets = greater mass / energy about the head and the potential for greater injury and riskier behaviour (speed / feeling more secure so going off piste etc). Stay safe out there. Prayers for M Sc. Sounds like a slowly evolving extra dural haemorrhage. Thoughts and prayers.

In reply to Trangia:

Hope he recovers, by which I mean, hope there is no damage to his brain.


The helmet debate will go on and on, but anyone who has seen the inside of a coma will have their own opinion.

In reply to Edradour:

Isnt that better than a coma uninduced?

In reply to IainRUK:

Yes and no. An induced coma is like putting a TV on standby. It reduces brain activity to reduce the amount of blood flow (pressure) needed to maintain brain function. The only answer can be "it depends", and depends a lot on what has happened to the brain of MS.

In reply to Trangia:

The beeb has just mentioned that he was a climber as well - though didn't seem to wear a helmet..
Self confidence vs. attitude to perceived risk is worthy of a whole new thread.

http://album.sofeminine.co.uk/album/see_404083_8/MICHAEL-SCHUMACHER-IS-HAND...

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/may/09/features.sportmonthly1

*awaiting UKC pisstakes due to the url*

In reply to IainRUK:

I'm not a medical expert so not well placed to comment but I do know that an induced coma is a pretty drastic medical measure, usually only used in life threatening situations.

In reply to Trangia:

Just heard the news. Hope he makes a full recovery. Some great memories back in the day.

In reply to Edradour:

Or it is done in situations where a patient is *somewhat* off their best and unable to clear or open a compromised airway - for instance when very drunk - and needs a trip to the CT or MRI scanner; so as of itself an 'induced coma' is not a disaster - it can mean the need to protect an airway, or allow cooling, or other procedures that might be helpful.

Having said that, the suggestion of a developing bleed are sounding the most likely...

DOI: I'm not a neurosurgeon. Fingers crossed for a full recovery - I have seen some extremely unpleasant traumatic brain injuries form the NZ slopes so probably have a skewed view in the helmet vs no helmet debate - and my kids tend to get their helmets put on at the same time as their ski boots...


b

In reply to Trangia:

Best wishes to him.

In reply to Trangia:

Schumacher's medical team are giving a News Conference now. He remains critical and is "fighting for his life". They cannot predict the outcome and are working hour by hour.

They say these sorts of injuries are not uncommon and urge all skiers to wear helmets. In this case although the helmet did not give him full protection it definitely helped and without it he would have been dead on arrival at hospital.

They keep emphasizing that he remains critical and they cannot at this stage say how things will turn out.

It's not sounding good. All we can do is try and remain hopeful and positive.

In reply to Trangia:

I don't know why, but I have a positive feeling about the outcome.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Hope you are right.

Was never much of a Schumi fan during the Ferrari years, but seeing his comeback turned round my opinion of him.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:




I hope you are right, racing drivers are amongst the fittest, and but reports of lesions on his brain sound worrying.

In reply to Jimbo W:


The 'helmets give you a false sense of safety' argument sound very similar to the specious don't a seat-belt and drive safer argument?

And there appears to be at least some research behind helmets and skiing http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12415801

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Agree. I find the whole helmets are dangerous debate in cycling plain stupid.

Thankfully climbing seems in the last few years to be moving away from this and I think its now more widely accepted that they are a sensible precaution.

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Great post.. the arguments behind the mass idea is weak. I crashed my bike this week at speed on ice.. not wearing a helmet.. it terrified me as I bounced down the tarmac.. my ankle, knee, hip, elbow are still swollen, had I hit my head that would have been similar.

For huge impacts its random probably, but for lower speed it will keep you alive.

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Also guys like Schumi will speed regardless.. we all do on a ski slope. I've skiied and boarded many times with no helmet and am no different to with, but have had a few big impacts that make you be more careful.

In reply to Trangia:

I wonder if any newspapers have given in to the temptation to run the headline "Schumacher beaten by Hill"?