Dr Ruffalo's testimony

Dr. Richard Ruffalo, an anaesthesiologist who testified as an expert witness, said Murray expressed concern about Michael being addicted to the anaesthetic, in an interview with police two days after Michael’s death. The cardiologist told police he left Michael alone to use the restroom, and when he returned Michael wasn’t breathing.

“It’s the same as having a heroin addict and leaving the syringe next to him and walking away”, said Dr. Richard Ruffalo, an anaesthesiologist who testified as an expert witness.

He said Murray lacked the proper medical equipment to properly monitor Michael, who was receiving Propofol to help him sleep six nights a week, for at least two months before he died. Ruffalo, gave the judge an exhaustive rundown on the sophisticated medical equipment that should have been present when Murray administered Propofol, in Michael’s bedroom. Among the devices were monitoring equipment for heart and lungs and resuscitation equipment.

“You need to know what you’re doing with the expectation your patient will wake up quickly,” Ruffalo said. ‘Even if you’re using Propofol for a short time, it can do a lot of unfortunate things, especially if mixed with other drugs”.

He also said Murray should have been keeping written charts while monitoring Michael’s vital signs, every five minutes while he was under sedation. Police have said they never obtained written charts from Murray.

Ruffalo also indicated that Murray didn’t properly attempt to revive Michael, calling his attempts to perform CPR on the singer’s bed “useless”. The technique must be performed on a hard surface.

Compounded with Murray’s delay in calling 911, which prosecutors said could have been as much as twenty-one minutes, the doctor’s treatment of Michael represented an extreme deviation from the standard of care, said Ruffalo”.

MJFS

Sources: AP / MJJJusticeProject