Yes, but does it work???

Gato_Solo

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
EVANSTON, Ill. — A small number of the nation's hospitals are testing a promising blood substitute on patients, but they're performing the transfusions without getting consent.

The substitute is called PolyHeme (search) and it is made of salt water and the blood component hemoglobin.

"It is like blood in that it delivers oxygen to vital organs in an effort to avoid organ failure in patients that are bleeding,” said Steven Agoule, chairman of Northfield Laboratories (search).

When the blood substitute was tested on trauma patients who had lost a lot of blood, injury survival rates rose. Furthermore, the synthetic blood can be given to a person with any blood type and has a long shelf life. Unlike donated real blood, which lasts just six weeks, PolyHeme has a shelf life of one year.

The controversy over this promising treatment arises because about 20 hospitals are testing PolyHeme on trauma patients, most of whom are unconscious.

"The problem with the trial is simply that there is no consent by the subjects. That's a very big issue because medical experiments should never be done on human beings without their voluntary informed consent," said Vera Sharav of the Alliance for Human Research Protection (search).

The Food and Drug Administration (search) rarely allows experiments without consent, but agency officials refused to talk about its decision to green-light this one
Click to expand...

Source...
 
Squiggy

Squiggy

ThunderDick
Gonz, you can just never grasp the concept of setting precedents. Its not about whether this particular thing works. Its about setting the bar at that point for other practices and using this as the precedent that opened the door for such actions.
 
tommyj27

tommyj27

Not really Banned
gah! RW seeped through the bomb shelter into SciTech. :p

IMO, if i'm dying in the ER, i don't care what they pump me full of so long as it works, precedent be damned. although the possibilities are disturbing, it's all a slippery slope arguement.
 
pc_builder

pc_builder

New Member
I think I'll just start carrying around a card that pre-authorizes the use of any experimental treatments that may save my life. Problem solved, for me anyway.
 
P

PT

Off 'Motherfuckin' Topic Elite
A hand out of the ass could be a problem, but if it grew a tongue right above my dick. I'd be the worlds most popular man...
 
MrBishop

MrBishop

Well-Known Member
PT-if you had a tongue just below your penis...that wouldn't make ya popular...just unreachable. "Please leave a message at the tone" - 24/7 :p

The precedent is scary...no doubt about it, but there really should be a place to sign on your drivers license (just below the Organ donors part) which states either your requests for DNR (Do not resuscitate) and/or Use All Measures tested or not

I'd sign up for the last one, as I've signed for the first. The second..well...I guess that when I get really decrepitly old...I might consider it.
 
Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
Everyone with a say knows my wishes about what to do with my bits. If they're not there to sign off on giving my bits away, they're not gonna find me already hacked up.
 
pc_builder

pc_builder

New Member
MrBishop said:
I'd sign up for the last one, as I've signed for the first. The second..well...I guess that when I get really decrepitly old...I might consider it.
Click to expand...

I'd sign up for #3 too. I'm already an organ donor.
 
Gato_Solo

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
For those who didn't actually read the text...the FDA gave approval to 'blind test' the stuff...meaning that they could use it in life-threatening situations if the doctor decided it would help. :shrug:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top