Robert was suffering with a cold or so he thought. He had been waterskiing on a local lake and had a great time. He felt kind of achy that night but took some ibuprofen and felt a little better. In a few hours his temperature rose up and he was shaking like he was freezing. His mother thought that he would probably miss school the next day and was not happy. He was just lying in bed and told her he felt funny and could not think well. She assured him he would be fine. She thought that it was quite unusual for him to not get up and watch his favorite program. She went to see him and she found him blue and gasping for air. She called 911 and he was brought to the hospital where the doctor immediately
In the 1964 movie, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, the commander Kit survives on the planet using his ingenuity and oxygen pills that were supplied on the spaceship. The oxygen in the pills would be able to let him supply the life supporting gas he needed on the planet until he could travel back. Unfortunately, the spaceship was not able to take him back and he had to make do on the planet. Where are these oxygen pills now 45 years later?
Robert was admitted to a university that was experimenting with a liquid oxygen called Oxycyte. It is given intravenously through a tube to supply oxygen where it is missing in the body. Robert could not get oxygen in his body with conventional methods. Usually, without a lung transplant, Robert would die. No lung transplant was available so his mother was asked if she wanted to try something that was still in clinical trials. She said yes as there wasn’t much else to offer. The doctor called a researcher that was performing the intravenous treatments to laboratory animals and permission was obtained from the medical center administration. Roberts’ oxygen immediately increased and it gave him time for the doctor to get some of the swelling and infection out of his lungs over the next several days. His intestinal tract started to improve and he remained on the intensive care unit for several weeks but he did survive.
Truth or fiction? Part both. Oxycyte is one of a new class of chemicals that can carry oxygen in the body when given in an intravenous tube or when placed in an artery. When one part of our body does not get enough oxygen,
No human so far has received oxycyte but it is now approved in Europe for trial in humans. The first 128 patients suffering from an emergency loss of oxygen to an organ are going to be experimented on with their permission. The outcome of these studies will be studied closely. It is well known that we can possibly bring these organs out of permanent disabling damage. The possibilities on the battlefield are also being studied carefully. Intravenous oxygen may eventually even be given in a pill form!
Key Points:
1) Many strokes, heart attacks and other organ damage are caused by the sudden loss oxygen.
2) Extra oxygen often helps-but extremely high oxygen levels supplied by another method has been shown to be preventive of long term damage.
3) Intravenous and intra-arterial oxygen can now be supplied by chemicals that surpass red blood cells in providing oxygen to these damaged organs.
Author Info
