X-Message-Number: 652 Subject: CRYONICS - ACS and ALCOR From: (Edgar W. Swank) Date: Fri, 14 Feb 92 16:21:30 PST First, I want to thank Allen J. Lopp for the conciliatory remarks expressed in msg 644. I agree completely. Next, I have some further detail on the circumstances of the ACS/TT suspension (the last one before Jerry White's mother) which was the subject of inquiry in msg 631 by Steven B. Harris. The subject was the elderly parent of an ACS member. He/she was also signed up as a "full" member but had not even started the paperwork to make him a suspension member. This was a choice of the younger ACS member made for personal & family reasons. The patient was legally a ward of the county. Death took place in a nursing home at some distance from the bay area. Emergency Standby (bedside waiting) service was offered, but declined. In this case, some ACS people offered to wait at no cost if that was a problem. The patient was also not enrolled in TT's Emergency Responsibility service. Nevertheless, both ACS and Trans-Time made what preparations they could. Roads maps and directions to the nursing home were distributed widely among ACS and TT personnel. A source of ice was located near the nursing home. Equipment & supplies were kept ready. In a post-suspension critique, the M.D. working with us commented that any difficulties we had with perfusion were due to clotting which was cause by the nursing home allowing the patient to dehydrate by withdrawing fluids & nutrition. Apparently this is a common practice with terminal patients. Incidentally, I'm told that brain edema (swelling) has not been a problem in any ACS/TT suspension since we started using Dr. Paul Segall's proprietary fluids, even in cases where suspension could not be started until sometime after death. I hope this and my previous comment (msg 646) answered your questions, Mr. Harris. I will post any further details as I receive them. -- (Edgar W. Swank) SPECTROX SYSTEMS +1.408.252.1005 Silicon Valley, Ca Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=652