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Explorations of our brains' fragility fill the pages of Michael Paul Mason's book "Head Cases."
A Cold Heart
By Jacob Eaton on Wednesday, April 30, 2008.
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Until recently, the quickest treatment for a victim of cardiac arrest consisted of an aspirin or the use of a cardiac defibrillator. Life Recovery Systems of Alexandria, LA is looking to change that in a cool new way.
The company is the creator of the ThermoSuit, a plastic body suit that induces "therapeutic hypothermia” as ice water is pumped through its skin. LRS explains on its website that therapeutic hypothermia "involves dropping body temperature from 98.6F to 89.6F in an effort to cool vital organs to the point that they operate more slowly and require less oxygen."
According to the Washington Post, the only proven use for the ThermoSuit is on cardiac arrest victims, though it may also prove useful in treating head injuries as well.
The suit, which runs at $30,000, has received the mark of approval from both the Federal Drug Administration and the European CE for use in hospitals. It is currently in use at the Virginia Commonwealth University.
(Photo by Matthew Stenzel)
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Word of Mouth is all about what's new. Online and on-air, the show takes the latest ideas and trends from every aspect of our culture and puts them under a microscope. Word of Mouth covers everything from healthcare and the environment, to technology and the internet, to books, movies, music and TV. The show airs Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon and is hosted by Virginia Prescott.
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