X-Message-Number: 27641
From: "John de Rivaz" <>
Subject: oxygen for strokes
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 11:36:29 -0000

I was interested in an article on cryonet about the use oxygen to extend the
"window of opportunity" for strokes from three to four hours. But to be
effective for the stroke service in the UK, the three hour window needs to
be extended to three weeks.

The dilemma the UK government (and many others) face is that any treatment
that is labour intensive and urgent is not going to reach many sufferers.
However, treatments such as pharmaceuticals or minor procedures that are not
time sensitive and can be administered in doctors' premises, can benefit
thousands of people for the cost of just one major procedure in a hospital.
So it is best to devote government resources to developing and applying
these mass treatments rather than procedures that can only benefit the odd
few who happen to be in the right place at the right time, like lottery
prize winners. This seems to be the latest thinking in the UK.

Even if an individual is willing to pay for health services, facilities can
still be over worked and unable to take new cases once they are full up.

But that does leave the alternative of laying in a stock of what is helpful
in the event of a stroke. Whether it is possible to get an oxygen kit
without saying why you want it, and whether it is possible to buy stroke
medicines that will last possibly for years before they are needed I have no
idea. Also there is the problem of whether the stroke is thrombotic or
haemorrhagic. The latter is said to be the type of 15 to 20% of strokes. If
some simple test (rather than a scan) can be used,
materials
for that could also be stockpiled but otherwise one just has to rely on
probability.

It is important to remember that the choice is not between instant  state of
the art response from the government, or your own efforts. It is between no
response from the government for three weeks, or your own efforts. A person
admitted to hospital and then virtually ignored for three weeks may be
better off in his own home in many instances, especially if an in-home
qualified nurse is available and affordable.

As some may see this is slightly off topic for cryonet, I suggest
follow up to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LongevityReport/ .
This can be web based or email once you have subscribed.

-- 
Sincerely, John de Rivaz:  http://John.deRivaz.com for websites including
Cryonics Europe, Longevity Report, The Venturists, Porthtowan, Alec Harley
Reeves - inventor, Arthur Bowker - potter, de Rivaz genealogy,  Nomad .. and
more

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