Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Zombie Life Support

Gunshot victims to be suspended between life and death
Finding ways to cool the body until it reaches a state of suspended animation – where people are not alive but not yet dead – could give doctors more time in an emergency.
The technique was first demonstrated in pigs in 2002 by Hasan Alam at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, and his colleagues. The animals were sedated and a massive haemorrhage induced, to mimic the effect of multiple gunshot wounds. Their blood was drained and replaced by either a cold potassium or saline solution, rapidly cooling the body to around 10 °C. After the injuries were treated, the animals were gradually warmed up as the solution was replaced with blood.
The pig's heart usually started beating again by itself, although some pigs needed a jump-start. There was no effect on physical or cognitive function.
That solution will be put to the test in humans for the first time. A final meeting this week will ensure that a team of doctors is fully prepared to try it.
Interesting that they announced this in advance.  It has the potential to go terribly awry...