KING of Pop Michael Jackson could have been saved after he stopped breathing if his doctor had immediately called for help and taken steps to revive him, court hears.
A cardiologist who reviewed the treatment provided by Jackson's personal physician Conrad Murray told Los Angeles Superior Court he found extreme deviations from standard care that likely contributed directly to the Thriller singer's death, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Dr Murray is on trial for allegedly giving Jackson a lethal dose of the surgical anesthetic propofol on June 25, 2009.
The 58-year-old has pleaded not guilty and says Jackson gave himself the fatal dose while he was not observing him.
Dr Alon Steinberg, an expert reviewer for the California Medical Board, told the court today Jackson had been "savable" if Dr Murray had immediately dialed�for�an ambulance�and taken steps to resuscitate him.
He agreed under questioning by a prosecutor that Dr Murray's conduct amounted to gross negligence, the Times reported.
Dr Steinberg said basic operating procedure was to never leave the side of a patient shortly after giving a strong medication. Dr Murray said he stepped away for about two minutes on June 25, and that was when the singer overdosed.
"When you monitor a patient, you never leave their side, especially after giving propofol. It's like leaving a baby that's sleeping on your kitchen countertop," Dr Steinberg testified.
He also listed numerous other "departures" in Dr Murray's care for Jackson, including administering propofol without adequate equipment and preparation in case of emergency and failure to call�for an ambulance�in a timely manner.
"It's basic knowledge in America, you don't have to be a health care professional, that when someone is down you need to call 911 for help," Dr Steinberg said, according to the Times.
Also today, Dr Murray's lawyers dropped the possibility that Jackson might have taken the fatal dose of propofol orally.
That suggestion had been floated after a medical examiner testified yesterday that if Dr Murray had only left Jackson alone for two minutes the star would likely have been too sedated to administer propofol to himself, the Times reported.
Dr Murray's defencse team suggested Jackson may have swallowed the drug but Dr Christopher Rogers said he did not observe any residue resembling propofol in the 50-year-old's mouth, esophagus or stomach.
Dr Rogers said Dr Murray's scenario was "less reasonable" than the possibility that Dr Murray accidentally gave Jackson too large a dose of propofol.
Dr Murray's trial is expected to last five weeks, until the end of October.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.
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