Overdose of Sedative Propofol (Diprivan) Killed Michael Jackson, LA Coroner Says

After months of speculation about whether a powerful sedative used by pop singer Michael Jackson to get to sleep caused his sudden death, the Los Angeles chief medical examiner said today that is exactly what happened.

In newly unsealed court documents, a county coroner’s official revealed that Jackson’s June 25 death was caused by lethal levels of the drug propofol, a potent sedative not usually used outside of hospitals. Jackson reportedly had used the drug for years to battle insomnia, but medical experts say doing so if very risky.

The deadly dose allegedly was administered by Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, just hours before Jackson was pronounced dead. Murray, who practiced medicine in both Houston and Las Vegas, has remained a controversial, central figure in the closely watched investigation into the King of Pop’s death, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

According to the court filing, Murray told Los Angeles Police Department detectives that he was concerned that Jackson had developed an addiction to propofol and he was attempting to wean Jackson off the drugs at the time he died. Murray reportedly had been mixing propofol with other sedatives, including lorazepam and midazolam, and giving them to Jackson through an intravenous injection.

Earlier Recall of Propofol Announced

In July, Teva Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes propofol, recalled several lots of the drug after bacterial contamination was found. The recalled lots were not the same batch of the drug, also called Diprivan, which were given to Jackson, but the drug had been linked to about 40 cases of patients in Florida, Arizona, and Missouri developing chills and fevers after being given the drug during surgery, officials said.

It was previously reported that Murray was with Jackson administering the drugs, when he stepped out of the singer’s bedroom briefly to talk on the phone. When the physician returned to check on Jackson, the entertainer was not breathing and frantic attempts to revive him failed.

Jackson’s death has cast a spotlight on the actions of Murray and other physicians, who may conduct themselves in unprofessional, unethical, and irresponsible ways, putting their patients at risk of injury and death.

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