Artificial blood

[Tiger]

It seems that artificial blood has saved a human life. I am glad, because this means that in the future, there won't be dependency on blood donation. This is a huge scientific breakthrough that hasn't yet had much press coverage. Here is an article about it.

Edited December 27, 2011 by Tiger

[Y_B]

"Tamara Coakley's life saved by cow's blood"

 

Yet in the picture, she's hugging a horse

 

I thought that was kinda funny

[Palantir]

Jehovah's Witnesses can't have blood from humans but they can from cows?? - curious.

 

Wow! - it sure is a breakthrough though.

[Bill W]

I find this an interesting concept, since the blood of animals slaughtered for food could be used to save human lives, but does this open Pandora's box to the possibility of infecting humans with diseases unique to or more commonly found in animals? That might give us some pause before jumping on the bandwagon.

[K.C.]

I have so many problems with this article. First, let start with this woman was so severely injured that she only had 1 litre of blood left? She would not have lived long enough to receive the synthesized blood from the USA, no matter how fast it could be medevaced in. She probably wouldn’t have made it if it was already there in Australia at another hospital and waited for it to be sent over. These minutes and first hour after injury are critical.

 

Second, I have come face to face with many Jehovah’s Witnesses regarding treatment relating to blood products. They are very clear about receiving no transfusions and no blood products which include red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets or plasma. They also do not allow banking their own blood in advance to be used during surgery. I’ve even seen them deny dialysis since the blood is removed from the body to be cleaned and filtered and returned to the patient’s own body.

 

Now there are varying degrees of how rigorous some are in their beliefs. The more devout will stand behind their beliefs until the bitter end, but some fold and accept medical treatment to save their own life or the life of their loved one.

 

Synthesized blood is very cutting edge in medical research, if either by stem cell or bioengineered using animal products. We are already using many animal products in bone graft surgery, nerve replacement surgery, heart valve surgery and many more. I look forward to when true synthesized blood is used but I see too many holes in this story.

[Celethiel]

good for once there wasn't some big hub bub about something medical being immoral.