I was also wondering about the "aided" designation. Could you explain that
@snakes? It sounds like you're familiar with what they're talking about. Is it a category/designation of police reports? Or more like legal guardianship?
I was guessing that the photo was taken when they put him up in NAMUS as opposed to taking it soon after admission. He'd have been on a ventilator for awhile before a trach was placed so he'd been hospitalized for some time already. I was guessing that the healed scars were related to the head trauma that likely caused the significant brain damage. As for the lips, my guess is that he's probably in an associated long term care facility with poor staffing where they don't have time to put lip balm on him regularly.
But like I said - totally guessing here. And thanks for requesting those records, snakes!
Please see reply above for "Aided".
It does make sense the picture might be current to time of NamUs listing. At this time, there's little we know.
Presence of trach would not necessarily mean an individual had been on ventilator for any length of time -- Depending on circumstance, condition, whether or not PMV (prolonged mechanical ventilation) would be expected, opinion of medical staff, prognosis, and goals of patient / advocating party, tracheostomy may be performed early. (See, for example,
To Trach or not to Trach: Uncertainty in the Care of the Chronically Critically Ill, which discusses early vs later trach, patient preference, outcomes, and problems with the few extant studies).
The theories you've posted make sense; however, there are many, potentially interacting, variables. Without viewing a medical report stating that the UIDPatient sustained head trauma resulting in significant traumatic brain injury in the involved incident, for instance, I wouldn't be certain. Chapped lips could result from exposure / dehydration unresolved at the time, or from chronic dehydration or malnourishment, for example. I could follow you down a path of possibility, but I'd likely be able to both support and contradict any offered assumption. To some people, understandably, that might feel frustrating (or, to some, even worse, insulting) -- and when more information does become available, we could learn everything we've conjectured about this case is wrong.
The requests for further information have been sent out. There's no eta on fulfillment. I wouldn't expect anything before late next week; it might take substantially longer.
If you'd like to discuss possibilities, and don't mind a counter-argument to everything you say, I'm open to exploring a few theories. Please forgive any delay in reply.
