Opinion ID: 2158073
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Inside the Trailer

Text: Osterman said that even though he thought Stringer was doing fine, he brought Stringer to the air-conditioned trailer as a preventive measure. Osterman testified that Stringer jogged to the trailer, but a Vikings teammate stated that Stringer only jogged a couple of steps and then walked to the trailer. According to Osterman, about five minutes passed between the time he saw Stringer lying on the ground and the time they entered the trailer. Estimates are that Stringer and Osterman entered the trailer at about 11:20 a.m. Osterman's testimony was that when Stringer was inside the trailer, he jumped up on one of the tables. Osterman said he asked Stringer how he was. It appears from the record that Stringer did not respond to Osterman's question. About five minutes later, Kearney also entered the trailer with some water for Stringer even though, according to Barta, Gatorade and ice bags were already inside the trailer. Kearney left soon thereafter. No one else was in the trailer. Stringer drank one or two sips of the water. Osterman said that he determined that Stringer's skin was cool and moist [8] and he then just kind of let him relax for between five and ten minutes. After this time had passed, Stringer got off the table and moved to the floor. He asked Osterman to remove his shoes and socks and cut the tape from his ankles. Osterman did so and said that Stringer thanked him, but Osterman did not recall Stringer saying anything else the rest of the time while in the trailer and he did not ask Stringer any other questions. Osterman also said that Stringer drank some more sips of water, but he did not know how much. A bit later, Stringer moved back to the table and began humming and bopping his head back and forth. He continued this behavior for another ten minutes or more. Osterman then called the athletic training room to have someone come with a golf cart to pick up Stringer. Osterman said that he waited to call the training room because they're pretty busy after practice and,    there really wouldn't have been anyone around to come out before that and because he did not think this was an emergency. Stringer got off the table and lay down on the floor again. Osterman applied at least one ice towel to Stringer's forehead, but Stringer pushed it away and Osterman did not reapply it. The golf cart came about five to ten minutes after Osterman placed the call to the training room. When the golf cart arrived, Osterman and Kearney tried to get Stringer up, but he was unresponsive. Osterman testified that he instructed Kearney to get him some ice towels and to get Zamberletti. Kearney stated that he knew there was something not right about the situation because Stringer was not responding and appeared to be having difficulty moving. Kearney and Osterman rolled Stringer on to his side. Osterman said, I was kind of confused because that was the first sign that something was going wrong. Osterman also said that this was the first time he checked any of Stringer's vital signs, such as his pulse. Osterman said Stringer's breathing was normal; his pulse was steady but slow, but he did not count the beats per minute. He did not have a thermometer and did not think to check Stringer's temperature. He also did not take Stringer's blood pressure. He applied two ice towels to Stringer. Neither Osterman nor Kearney called an ambulance up to this point. Zamberletti arrived with Kearney after about three to five minutes. According to Osterman, Stringer's breathing became shallower and quicker as Zamberletti arrived. Kearney also stated that Stringer's breathing had changed since the time he left to get Zamberletti. Stringer was also groaning, which, to Kearney, sounded involuntary. Osterman did not say anything to Zamberletti and testified that as soon as he entered the trailer, Zamberletti said, [Stringer's] hyperventilating. Zamberletti did not ask for any history about Stringer's condition, but he instructed Kearney to put a Ziploc bag over Stringer's mouth because of his belief that Stringer was hyperventilating. Kearney stated that he held the bag over Stringer's mouth and nose for about one to one and one-half minutes. Kearney also stated that he did not believe Stringer's breathing improved as a result of using the bag. After trying the Ziploc bag treatment, Zamberletti took Stringer's pulse and testified that it was real rapid, but he did not count the beats per minute. Zamberletti testified that he then instructed Osterman to leave the trailer and to call for a van. Osterman did so and when he came back inside the trailer, Zamberletti told him to call Dr. Knowles. [9] Osterman was unable to reach Knowles so he called his nurse, who said that she would page Knowles. Knowles called back about three or four minutes later and Zamberletti left the trailer to speak with him. According to Zamberletti, after his conversation with Knowles, Zamberletti instructed Osterman to call Gold Cross ambulance. [10] During this time, Kearney, on his own, replaced one ice towel that was behind Stringer's neck and another on his chest. Kearney also monitored Stringer's airway to make sure he was breathing and heard a lot of fluid or saliva. He said that Stringer's skin was cool and moist. Zamberletti also testified that when he returned to the trailer, he monitored Stringer's airway, breathing, and circulation. Zamberletti testified that at that time he did not think Stringer's condition was heat-related. Instead, he said, I thought there was a possibility [Stringer] could have just fainted. I thought that he could have had the possibility of a seizure, which would havecould have been done by an insect bite or some medication that he had taken or something.