
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, August 21, 1994                   TAG: 9408210040
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: E13   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STATEMENT FROM DOCTOR ON INJURIES

Here is an edited transcript of comments by Dr. Errol Erlandson, trauma surgeon at St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital in Ypsilanti, Mich., during a press conference at 4:05 p.m. Saturday updating the condition of Ernie Irvan, who was critically injured Saturday morning in a crash during practice at Michigan International Speedway.

Dr. Erlandson: "Mr. Irvan was transported this morning by helicopter to our medical center, having sustained some severe injuries at the race track, as you are aware.

"At that time, he was receiving full respiratory and cardiovascular support - that is assisted respiration and resuscitation with fluid being given intravenously. He was not alert at that time.

"Our resuscitation involved placing a number of monitoring and resuscitating lines and performing urgent and emergent diagnostic tests. Based on those studies, I can summarize that his injuries seem to be confined in their greatest severity to two areas.

"First, a rather severe brain or head injury . . . including a fracture of the skull, which has resulted [in] swelling of the brain throughout all areas of the brain, including the brain stem. And second, his severest injuries seem to involve the lungs. Although he has very little evidence of external injury to the chest or chest wall, his lungs have been severely bruised and are accumulating a lot of fluid. And he's requiring full respiratory support with a ventilator . . . through a small tracheostomy in the neck.

"In addition, he has severe injuries of the soft tissues of the face and head and neck. There has been some contusion in some areas, and bleeding. Our assessment at this time of his abdomen, pelvis region and all four extremities is that there is no penetrating injury and no obvious injury that affect those areas of the body.

"He is not alert at this time. He has received some severe injuries to two major organ systems, either one of which in their severity as assessed at this time could be fatal.

"In this business, we believe that the prognosis cannot be stated. In the beginning, I think maximum effect of the support of these injuries can be trusted with minute-to-minute support and the best outcome will occur. But I cannot predict.

"There is, at this time, no plans for any surgical procedures and it does not appear any surgical procedures are indicated at this time. However, as information develops, that could change. In the long run, attention to nutrition and risk of infection will be very important, as you can imagine."

by CNB