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Medicine. 24 April 2014. Extending life: just because we can, should we?. Life Support. Permanent vegetative state Being kept alive through Mechanical Ventilation Feeding Tube. Economics. 1 billion people living on less than $1 a day
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Medicine 24April 2014
Life Support • Permanent vegetative state • Being kept alive through • Mechanical Ventilation • Feeding Tube
Economics • 1 billion people living on less than $1 a day • 40% world population (2.6 billion) less than $2 a day • Life support more than $1000 a day • Distribution of medical technology • Other uses of those funds
Quality of Life • Statistical Measure: Quality of Adjusted Life-Year (QALY) • Very personal decision • Influenced by and impacts • Family • Friends • Finances • Ageism
Physician-assisted suicide • Legal in Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Washington, Montana, Oregon • Jack Kevorkian • “Dying is not a crime.” • Thanatron: pushing a button to release drugs to end own life • Biggest concern is free will
Nancy Cruzan case (1983) Nancy Cruzan case (1983) • First time the right-to-die issue brought before the Supreme Court
Terry Schiavo (1990) • cardiac arrest • persistent vegetative state • 15 years: feeding tube • husband vs. parents • Florida courts and governor • Estimated cost: $400,000 a year
Kidney Failure: Home Dialysis Chronic Illness support Diabetes: Insulin Pumps No injections Flexible eating Fewer glucose swings Diabetic ketoacidosis Costly Continual attachment Training and set up Replace lost kidney function Avoids hospital visits Training and set up
Artificial Heart • Completely self-contained artificial heart • Readily available • No need for immunosuppressive drugs • Able to prolong life until a heart transplant • Now, improved power supply
Computerized Prosthetics • Sensing • Finer motor skills • Balance and support • Bionic Hand is a reality • Todd Kuiken • Aimee Mullins
Addressing Blindness • For macular degeneration: embedded telescope • Bionic eye: Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System • Camera built into a pair of glasses. • video-processing microchip in handheld unit • radio transmitter to implanted receiver • sends pulses to retinal implant
Speech-easy for Stuttering • People who stutter can speak “in chorus” • Hearing aid repeats own voice to fool brain
MRI: Magnetic Resonance ImaginG • Uses nuclear magnetic resonance • MRI: soft tissues • Functional MRI (fMRI): blood flow
Pill Cam • Capsule endoscopy • Way to record images of the digestive tract
Electronic health records • Benefits • Patient Care • Research • Problems • Transition costs • Security
Simplified Automotive Ventilator (SAVE) • Completely self-contained • Weighs only 3 pounds • No compressed gas source needed • Mask or secure airway. • Delivers ambient air for up to 5.5 hours on a single battery charge • Rugged
Robotic Surgery • Less invasive • Ability to work on smaller scale
problems • Woman dies during a hysterectomy • surgeon-controlled robot accidentally nicks a blood vessel • Man dies from an infection • intestines punctured during spleen surgery • doctor using system for first time • Man’s colon perforated during prostate surgery • Robotic arm wouldn't release tissue during colorectal surgery • Required total system shutdown • Robotic arm hits a patient in the face • Surgeon switched to open, more invasive operation
Trauma Pod • Medical treatment on the battlefield • Operating room with no people • Will not require human medical personnel on-site • Human surgeon in remote location • Small enough to be carried by a medical ground or air vehicle
BURNS: The Skin Gun • Today • skin grafts • several weeks or months to heal • Skin gun • electronically controlled pneumatic device • healthy stem cells isolated from the patient’s undamaged skin • aqueous solution containing the cells is sprayed on burn • heals in days
cancer therapy • Nanotechnology • Radio Surgery