Parkland Hospital: Voices from HistoryAll Exhibits Trauma Room
One Upon the president's arrival, Dr. James Carrico detected no
pulse or blood pressure. However, Kennedy showed some signs of
life, including strained respiration and a faint heartbeat. As
more and more doctors arrived, they noted two wounds on the
president—one in the neck and a massive wound in the head. They
immediately began lifesaving efforts. Dr. Ronald C. Jones
performed a cutdown—a small incision in a vein—for the
administration of medication. Attending surgeon Dr. Malcolm
Perry began a tracheotomy, a procedure that creates an opening
to aid in breathing. Since the president had a bullet wound in
his throat below his Adam's apple, Dr. Malcolm Perry enlarged
the existing hole for the procedure. Although most of the
doctors noticed what they believed was a severe wound in the
right occipital-parietal (right rear) region of the president's
head, no one made a detailed examination of it. President
Kennedy soon went into cardiac arrest. Dr. Ke