THE DEATH OF HANK GATHERS : Doctor Says Gathers Was Well Enough to Be Playing Ball

The doctor who treated Hank Gathers after he fainted during a game Dec. 9 said Monday that the Loyola basketball star was healthy enough to play.

“There was no debate as to what Hank was able to do,” said Michael F. Mellman, an internist with Centinela Hospital Medical Center and a team doctor for the Dodgers and Kings.

“In my mind he was physically capable to go out and play. But there was concern as to what Hank’s problems were. We discovered some problems but we didn’t know if they were related to his fainting or not.”

Mellman did not see Gathers after mid-January. He said Gathers, who missed two games after the fainting spell, was released and referred to cardiologists for treatment of an irregular heartbeat.

The Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital cardiologists who monitored Gathers for the last two months and approved his return to the basketball court refused to discuss specifics of their former patient Monday.

Dr. Vernon Hattori and arrhythmia specialist Dr. Charles Swerdlow said they were unavailable for comment. A hospital spokesman said doctors do not want to release information until the family is fully advised as to the cause of death.

A hospital statement said: “Hank Gathers was evaluated at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital after he passed out during a basketball game in December and underwent a rigorous battery of cardiology testing. A cardiac arrhythmia, a heart disturbance, was noted and treated with an anti-arrhythmic drug. His condition was monitored on a regular basis since the December incident.”

Mellman, who was in Vero Beach, Fla., at Dodgertown, said in a telephone interview he did not know what medication Gathers had been given. Gathers friends, however, reported the drug was Inderal--a beta blocker. “When Hank was released from the hospital his evaluation and treatment were not formulated yet,” Mellman said. “He was not released to play basketball. He was simply told he could leave the hospital.”

Mellman also said there are a multitude of medical opinions about whether Gathers was able to play, but until an autopsy is completed it is premature to comment.

Friends said Sunday night Gathers had reduced the dosage of his medication or stopped taking it altogether.

Inderal is prescribed for many reasons, such as slowing the heart rate, according to the Physicians’ Desk Reference.

The drug blocks the flow of adrenaline to the body, which can cause sluggishness. Doctors usually prescribe low dosages, and incrementally increase the amount.

Patients are withdrawn from the drug in incremental doses as well. Sudden withdrawal can precipitate a cardiac problem, according to a manufacturer’s warning listed in the PDR. The publication advises gradual withdrawal over a period of at least a few weeks.

“The patient should be cautioned against interruption or cessation of therapy without the physician’s advice,” the warning states.

Although the drug would effectively block the secretion that excites an athlete before competition, pharmacists say it is safe to perform physical activity while taking beta blockers.

Mellman said he doubts Gathers would violate doctor directions on how much to take, but he had not talked to Gathers in 1 1/2 months.