I posted this elsewhere, but I'll add it here too ...

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As a RN with nearly 25 yrs experience and most of that in ER and ICU, including Neurosurgical, I can assure you that extreme fluid retention and bloating is not uncommon in severe brain injury and multiple organ failure. One must remember that Dr Atkins was in a coma for 8 days after his head injury on April 9 last year, until artificial life-support was discontinued on April 17. Patients can get so bloated that their features become distorted and unrecognizable to loved ones Rings have to be cut off because the metal cuts deeply into the flesh.

Brain injuries cannot be managed with the same drugs used for other traumatic injuries and shock states (ie, decreased blood flow causing organ failure). Drugs that constrict blood vessels will improve blood flow to the kidneys but decrease blood flow to the brain .. just what you don't want. So, large volumes of fluid and plasma expanders must be given. When I say large volumes, I mean hundreds of ml per hour, liters and liters per day. When the kidneys and heart begin to fail, the fluid has nowhere to go but the tissues .. dialysis can help but only as long as the heart and blood vessels will tolerate. It's not pretty .. but there you have it.

The "experts" who claim extreme fluid overload is impossible must've slept through their medical rotation in ICU.

my 2¢


Doreen