On line 41 - cause of death - ”Medullay Failure”

What is that and what does it mean? What ever it is, it’s not what he died of.

Thanks in advance,

Scotty

I think the word you mean is Medullary, which pertains to the bone marrow, but can also pertain to thyroid cancer. If it is pertaining to the bone marrow then it most likely means bone cancer of some sort. Did you father have cancer do you know?

Medullary pertains to the marrow or to any medulla, resembling marrow.

Medullary could also relate to a specific kidney disease, if I remember correctly--it causes the kidneys to shut down.

What wording would you use for what your dad died from?

My dad was 78, and had a list of medical problems, but he DID NOT have any cancer or kidney problems. On Dec 16, 2009 he had heartache, than a stroke which caused a huge hemorrhage to the brain. Long story short, he was hospitalized for three weeks and than the last 4 days of his life he spent in a coma in a hospice facility.

This is the only thing connecting heart attack/cardiac arrest with medullary failure. Maybe it is possible your father had this syndrome?


Wallenberg's lateral medullary syndrome and its rare signs


Thanks to von Heinemann et al for reporting this brainstem stroke as a reminder of a grave complication of brainstem lesions, and that is cardiac arrest.

The writer of this case report has mentioned lateral medullary syndrome of Wallenberg after providing us with abbreviated neurological findings, and he has linked his observation with this type of brainstem stroke. The given brain imaging findings are compatible with Wallenberg’s syndrome of a wedge-shaped infracted area in the dorso-lateral medulla; however, the patient demonstrates many symptoms and signs that strongly question the “classical” Wallenberg syndrome:

1. One of the features that strongly stand against Wallenberg is the presence of limb weakness. The motor system is typically spared with lateral medullary lesions because the corresponding anatomic structure is located in the medial medulla. Therefore, hemiplegia in this patient would reflect anterior/medial medullary damage

To read more...

Replies to Recurrent cardiac arrest caused by lateral medulla oblongata infarction (http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2009/bcr.02.2009.1625.abstract/reply#casereports_el_38)

Medullary failure ALSO can mean failure of the medulla oblongata (sp?), which is essentially your brain stem--which controls basic functions such as your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.

If he had a stroke that caused his brain to shut down, then that would also be medullary failure.

You really should talk to your father's doctor about what it means--most doctors try to be specific in medical terms on a death certificate, but can explain it to you in layman's terms if you ask.