Tonight:
4°c
Sedative at centre of Michael Jackson 'homicide' probe
26 Aug 2009Michael Jackson's personal doctor could be charged over his death after a coroner apparently determined the singer died after being given a lethal cocktail of pharmaceutical drugs.
Court documents in what is reported to be a homicide inquiry have shown that Dr Conrad Murray administered the powerful sedative propofol just hours before the King of Pop collapsed.
The drug is useful as an anaesthetic because patients tend to recover from its effects quite quickly, but is not normally given outside hospitals.
An expert said it can be abused by medical staff who need to get to sleep quickly after long shifts.
It is used in operating theatres, often for smaller, short operations, said pharmaceutical specialist Dr Malcolm VandenBurg.
But it must be used in controlled circumstances because there is a narrow window between a safe and effective dose and one that is dangerous, he said.
Dr VandenBurg, who acts as an expert witness in general medicine, pharmaceutical medicine, psychological medicine and pharmacology, said: "It is unusual to find a member of the general public who is addicted to propofol as in my experience most are healthcare professionals, although some have doubted this.
"The addictive process starts when they self-administer it to help with sleeplessness. It is only licensed to be used by qualified experienced doctors in a setting where the heart, breathing and sedation can be very well monitored and procedures are available to manage the difficulties and complications that may arise.
"Such settings are probably only found in hospitals, particularly operating theatres and intensive care units.
"It is very unusual, if not unheard of, for it to be used by a physician in a domestic setting. It is certainly not licensed in either the UK or USA for use by a physician to help a patient with sleeplessness.
"If it was prescribed to Michael Jackson and his doctors had a good reason to do it, I'm not aware of what that may be. I wouldn't expect it to be used outside of a controlled environment, like an operating theatre."
The Associated Press reported a law enforcement official claiming the Los Angeles County coroner had determined that Jackson's death was homicide.
Dr Murray's lawyer Ed Chernoff refused to comment on the reported homicide ruling, adding that most "anonymous" claims since Jackson's death had later been proven wrong.
LA County Coroner's office refused to confirm or deny the report by the Associated Press.
Under US law, homicide could refer to murder or negligent or reckless manslaughter.
Reports that the coroner had decided in favour of a homicide ruling came as court documents confirmed that authorities believe a lethal dosage of propofol killed the 50-year-old singer.
The documents also said Dr Murray told police that in the days before Jackson's demise he had administered several drugs to Jackson to help him sleep.
These included propofol, which he administered via an intravenous line.
But he feared that the singer was becoming addicted to the drug and halved his dosage from 50 milligrams a night to 25 milligrams.
Dr Murray told officers that during the morning, he tried to induce sleep without the use of propofol.
But after giving the singer a cocktail of other drugs, he turned to propofol following persistent requests from Jackson himself.
The last time Dr Murray administered the medication was 10.40am on June 25 - just hours before Jackson's heart stopped.
Dr VandenBurg, who practises privately in Hampstead, north London, and runs stress management workshops for doctors with addictions, said: "Those who have used (propofol) say that it has a peculiar kind of effect that may be euphoric or hallucinogenic, although that has not been recreated in controlled tests. That may be why they like it.
"Sadly, there have been a number of fatalities associated with its abuse."
He admitted that "when celebrities are involved, doctors may practise medicine in a different way".
Jackson's doctors could have been trying to wean him off the drug after he developed a dependency during other medical treatment, he said.
"What this does is make an unexplainable death into an explainable one."
