Dr. Peter Bambakidis testimony that heart attack wasn’t cause for Terri’s collapse

 

BEFORE: THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. GREER

Circuit Court Judge

PLACE: PINELLAS COUNTY COURTHOUSE

315 Court Street

Clearwater, Florida

DATE: October 15th, 16th, 17th, 20th & 22nd, 2002

Page 222

1 MR. FELOS: Thank you, Your Honor.

2 THEREUPON,

3 PETER BAMBAKIDIS, M.D.

4 WAS ADDUCED AS THE WITNESS HEREIN AND AFTER

5 BEING DULY SWORN ON OATH WAS EXAMINED AND

6 TESTIFIED AS FOLLOWS:

7 DIRECT EXAMINATION

Page 271

Q. Now, what did Mr. Schiavo tell you

6 about Terri's history?

7 A. Basically, I had approached this the

8 way I would approach examining any patient. In

9 other words, the history of the present illness,

10 what exactly happened back in 1990.

11 Q. So you got his description of the

12 underlying incident?

13 A. The events that occurred at that

14 particular point in time.

15 Q. Did he tell you that she had had a

16 heart attack?

17 A. No, I don't remember -- I do not recall

18 that.

19 Q. You concluded that she did have a heart

20 attack, though, correct?

21 A. No, I did not.

22 Q. It's not in your report?

23 A. No, I don't believe it is.

24 Q. What is your understanding of what

25 happened to her?

Page 272

1 A. Well, my understanding is that she did

2 have a cardiac arrest.

3 Q. Okay.

4 A. My understanding is further that there

5 seems -- it's still not definite exactly what the

6 cause of the cardiac arrest was.

7 Q. It was definitely not a heart attack

8 because her enzymes were not elevated, correct?

9 A. Well, I'm not going to answer that

10 directly. Suffice it to say that the diagnosis

11 of MI was not made or myocardial infarction was

12 not made.