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Andrew Fifita

Messages
8,480
Geez was it an illegal hit? or an accident???
Suggests they aren’t certain yet… from the article that Perth Red posted…

“Several incidents are being looked at as the potential cause, including tackles made by Fifita on Newcastle’s Kurt Mann in the first half, and on David Klemmer and Tyson Frizell in the second half. In effecting a tackle on Klemmer in the 43rd minute, Fifita appears to receive a forearm to the throat”

So by that it suggests inflammation etc came after the impact as he actually went back on the field for another spell..

Whatever the case… it’s very concerning. Primarily Andrew Fifitas health… but also how it happened…
 

Knight76

Juniors
Messages
2,043
Suggests they aren’t certain yet… from the article that Perth Red posted…

“Several incidents are being looked at as the potential cause, including tackles made by Fifita on Newcastle’s Kurt Mann in the first half, and on David Klemmer and Tyson Frizell in the second half. In effecting a tackle on Klemmer in the 43rd minute, Fifita appears to receive a forearm to the throat”

So by that it suggests inflammation etc came after the impact as he actually went back on the field for another spell..

Whatever the case… it’s very concerning. Primarily Andrew Fifitas health… but also how it happened…

That Klemmer tackle was in the second half. And he didn't report the issue until after the game apparently then received medical attention. Probably 40 minutes or so after the incident I'd say.
 

Meth

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
34,478
Excuse my ignorance, but was putting him into a coma procedural?
Can they bring him out of it at any stage? Or do they just sit and wait for him to come out?
 

aqua_duck

Coach
Messages
18,316
I'm not exactly sure the purpose of scouring through footage 45 times when they can't be exactly sure how or when the injury occurred, the best they can do is guess
 

AlwaysGreen

Immortal
Messages
47,822
Excuse my ignorance, but was putting him into a coma procedural?
Can they bring him out of it at any stage? Or do they just sit and wait for him to come out?
The media always use the word coma and on TV it's a person in a room by themselves unabke to wake up with a machine going beep next to them. Coma isn't really used by the medical fields.

In this instance he will be intubated, sedated and ventilated. When they want to wake him once the swelling around his airway has gone down they will reduce the sedation and then remove the 'breathing tube' and take him off the ventilator.
 
Messages
8,480
Excuse my ignorance, but was putting him into a coma procedural?
Can they bring him out of it at any stage? Or do they just sit and wait for him to come out?
Yes mate…

in a very basic comparison, it’s similar to anaesthetic before an operation.

My dad went under induced comas for various issues last year. You hear “coma” and automatically get scared shitless. However it’s to allow breathing easier in this instance, like my father had.. (through a ventilator). You can’t stay conscious and have a ventilator …

so it’s an assumption but I reckon he’ll have assisted breathing for a time similar to this.

while it’s still very serious it’s not as “scary” as most might think.
 
Messages
13,797
Following is taken from the Sydney Morning Herald (source: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ho...s-averted-fifita-tragedy-20210816-p58j88.html) -

How quick-thinking medics averted Fifita tragedy​

By Michael Chammas and Adam Pengilly

August 16, 2021 — 7.45pm

Andrew Fifita could have died if not for the quick intervention of paramedics who rushed him to a Brisbane hospital as his airway started closing over.

Extraordinary details of the Sharks forward’s ordeal after suffering a fractured larynx have emerged, including Fifita’s fear for his life as his screams reverberated around Redcliffe’s Moreton Daily Stadium on Sunday night.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Fifita was kept alive by the assistance of quick-thinking medical officers, who realised his airway was shutting rapidly and he was struggling to breathe, whisking him to Royal Brisbane Hospital for emergency treatment.
The 32-year-old was then placed in an induced coma, which was expected to last for 24 hours. He was in a stable condition on Monday evening as his family met with specialists to determine if he needed corrective surgery.

On Sunday night, doctors inserted a tube to assist Fifita’s breathing and provided him with medication which allowed the swelling around his airway to reduce.

Earlier, paramedics had treated the Tongan and Australian international for about 45 minutes on the field after ushering him out of the crowded Cronulla dressing room, where he was in a state of distress.

Onlookers could hear the panic in Fifita’s voice even after he was taken back onto the field, with concerned players leaving the sheds to see what was happening.

Stadium officials were forced to close the door to the tunnel to stop people from walking out to check on Fifita’s welfare.

The rapid deterioration in Fifita’s state came as a surprise after the events of the second half, with the prop leaving the field only six minutes after the interval.

Sharks trainers and teammates noticed his voice had changed when he spoke and shouted encouragement from the sideline. But it was only after full-time that the situation become grave, as Fifita realised he was struggling to breathe, prompting panic inside the dressing room which could be heard outside.

NRL judiciary chairman Geoff Bellew took the unusual step of allowing the match review committee until Tuesday morning to finalise charges from the match as they scoured for further vision of incidents involving Fifita’s 13-minute stint.
Given the venue does not usually host NRL matches, the MRC only had camera angles from the television broadcast available to analyse.

Sources have told the Herald a collision between Fifita and former State of Origin teammate David Klemmer only two minutes into the second half is believed to be the incident in which Fifita damaged his larynx.

Newcastle prop Klemmer slightly raised his arms as he carried the ball into Fifita and could be seen making contact around his throat. From the angles seen so far, it is expected Klemmer won’t be charged over what seemed like an innocuous incident.

Fifita left the field a few minutes later after an attempted tackle on Tyson Frizell, with the Knights scoring on the next play.

The prop walked off as the bunker checked Enari Tuala’s try and Fifita could be seen standing next to the Sharks bench metres from Jake Clifford’s attempted conversion moments later. He was handed a mask to put on while he was an interchange player.

Fifita left the field a minute before half-time for a head injury assessment after a tackle involving Knights utility Kurt Mann, but that did not damage his throat.

The Sharks released a statement on Sunday night saying Fifita had “reported difficulty swallowing” as he suffered from a “significant laryngeal injury”.

Newcastle’s senior assistant Rory Kostjasyn suffered a similar injury, which forced his retirement, while Melbourne’s Tom Eisenhuth has made a recovery from a throat problem to be a key member of the title favourites’ squad.
Fifita has one-year to run on his lucrative deal with the Sharks, which have a shortage of front-rowers with Aiden Tolman facing a one-game suspension with an early guilty plea over a cannonball tackle on Daniel Saifiti from the same match.

Braden Hamlin-Uele can accept a $750 fine for a high tackle on Connor Watson.
 

gerg

Juniors
Messages
2,238
Ahhh this is why those f***ing 'bumper bars' should be and used to be illegal. Players have been doing it for a decade and the NRL has turned a blind eye to it. Freddy defending it many times suggesting the ball carrier should be able to protect themselves, by raising their own elbows at throat level. Such an NRL thing to do, to allow this tactic... until something goes wrong.
 

Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,560
Yes mate…

in a very basic comparison, it’s similar to anaesthetic before an operation.

My dad went under induced comas for various issues last year. You hear “coma” and automatically get scared shitless. However it’s to allow breathing easier in this instance, like my father had.. (through a ventilator). You can’t stay conscious and have a ventilator …

so it’s an assumption but I reckon he’ll have assisted breathing for a time similar to this.

while it’s still very serious it’s not as “scary” as most might think.

We also intubate people when their airway is potentially at risk. Things like throat swelling you don’t want to wait because at a certain point it becomes difficult to intubate. In that case you’re sometimes intubating to stop it reaching that stage. It’s serious for sure but people generally recover fine.
 

simmo05

Bench
Messages
3,786
Ahhh this is why those f***ing 'bumper bars' should be and used to be illegal. Players have been doing it for a decade and the NRL has turned a blind eye to it. Freddy defending it many times suggesting the ball carrier should be able to protect themselves, by raising their own elbows at throat level. Such an NRL thing to do, to allow this tactic... until something goes wrong.
Should be classed the same as a high shot. Deliberate contact with the head or neck
 
Messages
13,797
Should be classed the same as a high shot. Deliberate contact with the head or neck
We'll know later today. The Match Review Committee were given until later today to look at laying any charges out of the match due to the lack of the extra camera angles available to them yesterday that they usually have for matches.
 
Messages
8,480
We also intubate people when their airway is potentially at risk. Things like throat swelling you don’t want to wait because at a certain point it becomes difficult to intubate. In that case you’re sometimes intubating to stop it reaching that stage. It’s serious for sure but people generally recover fine.

Cheers Billy.

Given your comments mate - I've got nothing but sheer admiration for you and all others who work in hospitals, especially ICU. I spent months every day with my dear old dad in ICU and saw first hand everything the doctors and nursing staff do for their patients. It's not just the medical treatment, it's also the ability to deal with people, both patients and families. And especially given the trauma with patients at different levels across the unit.

I know this is a footy forum, and I don't wanna hijack it with a perceived sob story of mine. But felt the need to say thanks. I don't know you personally, but thanks.
 
Messages
8,480
Ahhh this is why those f***ing 'bumper bars' should be and used to be illegal. Players have been doing it for a decade and the NRL has turned a blind eye to it. Freddy defending it many times suggesting the ball carrier should be able to protect themselves, by raising their own elbows at throat level. Such an NRL thing to do, to allow this tactic... until something goes wrong.

Agreed. I went off my head last year with Nathan Brown did this in SOO and took out Jake Friend. All the commentary was about how tough his "first hit up in origin was". I'm a blue through and through but couldn't believe the garbage about how great it was, glorifying it.

We all know what's happened with Jake Friend since. Not saying it was that incident alone but it's only further re-enforced to me that the NRL's crackdown was farcical as it was targetting the tacklers, not the ball carriers. Tacklers are more vulnerable to concussion. Vlandys has been very good commercially for the game but falls completely down in many other areas.
 
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