Politics

Huffington: FLAP Over Cheney’s Health Part 2

The Huffington Post is reporting in a follow-up that Vice President Dick Cheney had a prophylactic EKG at cardiac unit of the Vail Valley Medical Center on Friday afternoon:

As reported here on Friday, Vice President Dick Cheney went to the cardiac unit of the Vail Valley Medical Center on Friday afternoon. The Vail Daily reported that “he dropped by to say hi to his favorite knee doctor Richard Steadman.” The Associated Press ran a similar story.

The vice president did see Dr. Steadman, a renowned orthopedic surgeon at the Steadman Hawkins clinic. But he then proceeded to the cardiac unit of the center to see Dr. Jack Eck, sources close to the doctor told The Huffington Post. While there, Cheney had a prophylactic EKG.

Neither the Associated Press or the Vail Daily have reported that the vice president visited the cardiac unit.

And so what if he did?

An EKG is a normal component of any physical examination, espeically for someone with a history of heart disease.

But, did he stay and was he hospitalized overnight? Now this would be a story (albiet a small one) unless the Vice President’s life was in jeopardy.

A routine medical test is not.

And Arianna’s piece, It’s Not the EKG; It’s the Cover-up doesn’t really make the case for a cover-up.

An EKG is a very routine medical test.

It is not being reported that he had any invasive coronary tests or surgery.

Arianna, perhaps he had GAS!

Now, do you want that reported to the Associated Press every time he eats beans?

3 Comments

  • Sue

    Dick Cheney has a Medtronic Gem® III DR Implantable, Dual-Chamber Pacing and Defibrillation Device, implanted in 2001. The device monitors heart rhythms. If there are any abnormal rhythms these are not only treated by the device, but these "events" are recorded as well. Cheney's EP knows what is going on. This knee doc was probably just curious…

    For more info: http://www.skyaid.org/Skyaid%20Org/Medical/icd_ch

  • -keith in mtn. view

    How the hell do you have a "prophylactic" EKG? It's a test, you get a "reading" and a print-out – it's not a preventative procedure. The use of the word prophylactic is a bogus, alarmist mis-direction meant to add gravity to the otherwise normal follow-up test, an innocuous and not-very newsworthy electrocardiogram.