Synthetic Blood Saves Australian Woman’s Life

[pucca]

http://utopianist.com/2011/05/synthetic-blood-saves-australian-womans-life/

A viable synthetic blood transfusion may finally be a reality; just ask Tamara Coakley, 33, who brushed with death after a severe car accident.

As a Jehovah’s witness, the Australian woman was unable to receive transfusions of human blood, despite a long list of serious injuries: an almost-severed spinal cord, collapsed lungs, a fractured skull, broken ribs, cheekbone and elbow and a ruptured spleen. Her dangerous condition was only augmented by severe blood loss — doctors did not have many options, but a tireless Dr. Fitzgerald did some pretty heavy lifting to make things happen.

Ten units of the blood were flown in from the U.S. and injected into Coakley after the doctor negotiated with everybody from the manufacturer to border inspection agencies, an ethics committee and the airline carrier. He says that the idea of a synthetic blood transfusion working is “a bit of science fiction” making the whole procedure a medical miracle. The drug maker picked up the tab, another miracle in its own right.

The injection raised Coakley’s levels of hemoglobin, preventing imminent heart failure and anemia; it also supplemented the single liter of blood she had left after the accident. She woke up from a come one week after receiving the transfusion.

Researchers have been working on a viable concoction for years, and there are currently several versions under development worldwide — this one just happened to be from the U.S. Navy. Blood ranks in the top of the list when it comes to battlefield necessities, but there are several large drawbacks to the standard product — human blood needs to come from donors which are proven clean, yet the risk of infection in donated blood is always a concern; natural blood needs to be kept constantly refrigerated, a luxury some locations just don’t have; it requires human donors, which are always in short supply; and most importantly, human blood needs to be specifically matched to the recipient.

All these problems are solved with HBOC201 — the synthetic compound used in Coakley. The cocktail is made of a hemoglobin-based oxygen-carrying synthetic which contains a molecule derived from the plasma of a cow. The stuff doesn’t need to be refrigerated at all, in fact it’s fine to lie on the shelf for up to three years. There’s no concern of contamination because it would be produced in a sterile environment; there’s (presumably) no shortage because it’s man-made; and above all, it’s universal: there’s no longer a need to match the stuff to each person; any wounded soldier, any individual in a remote location can get a simple indiscriminate injection to save their lives.

A world first, doctors at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne “are to be heartily congratulated. The citizens of Melbourne should be rightly proud of this world standard-setting medical outcome” says Prof Colin Mackenzie of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Th accident occurred in October and Coakley is already walking.

This first case of synthetic blood successfully bringing a person back from the brink of death is set to spur testing and development worldwide, changing the face of medicine for the U.S. Navy as well as for small remote clinics the world over.

[pnutts]

Sorry to disappoint you but HBOC's, such as Polyheme and Hemopure, were pulled from Testing by the FDA and similar agencies in other countries 2 years ago.

The real question is-How did an OZ doctor get his hands on something no longer manufactured nor allowed for testing? When I first saw the article last year - it did mention the doctor had ties with U.S. military. It had only been Legal in South Africa and some doctors had used it on 'compassionate grounds' in other countries.

From the FDA article dealing with HBOC's -it stated that like 'free' hemoglobin in banked blood ( no longer in red cell ) it can migrate out of blood vessels and damage/kill organs - which isn't exactly good for survivability of patient either.

[rbrown1205]

This is interesting - and I am sorry to have brought attention to such an old news item about a subject that changes so quickly . I remember reading about a treatment being pulled because it was ineffective, but did not remember that this was it. I am glad that it worked for this sister, though.

[retroHelen]

http://www.noblood.org/medical-articles-abstracts/6350-when-blood-not-option-factors-affecting-survival-after-use-hemoglobin/

Quotation from the site after the medical extract:

"HBOC-201 (brand name: Hemopure) is a colloidal blood substitute made by OPK Biotech. See OPK Biotech.

It is derived from bovine blood sources. In essence, the haemoglobin is extracted from bovine red blood cells, filtered, purified and chemically modified. It is then added to a suitable solution for storage and subsequent transfusion.

Since HBOC-201 is a blood fraction derived from a primary component of whole blood, conscientious individuals wanting to respect the laws of the life-giver will wish to evaluate carefully the application of Bible based principles with regard to HBOC-2-1 and other similar products. "

[rbrown1205]

Thank you for the research, Helen. I can see that this can be a serious conscience matter.

[pnutts]

again it is a moot point since HBOC's( hemopure and also polyheme ) are no longer available. Personally I would not have taken them anyway- a Perfluorocarbon or similar would have been my 1st choice-still only available on 'compassionate grounds'

[Cool Cat]

http://www.noblood.org/medical-articles-abstracts/6350-when-blood-not-option-factors-affecting-survival-after-use-hemoglobin/

Quotation from the site after the medical extract:

"HBOC-201 (brand name: Hemopure) is a colloidal blood substitute made by OPK Biotech. See OPK Biotech.

It is derived from bovine blood sources. In essence, the haemoglobin is extracted from bovine red blood cells, filtered, purified and chemically modified. It is then added to a suitable solution for storage and subsequent transfusion.

Since HBOC-201 is a blood fraction derived from a primary component of whole blood, conscientious individuals wanting to respect the laws of the life-giver will wish to evaluate carefully the application of Bible based principles with regard to HBOC-2-1 and other similar products. "

Isn't Hemoglobin a large part of blood fluid, 2nd only to water? Platelets and other parts are rather small in comparison.

[finland-M]

I'm just trying to learn:) use " Watchtower online-library"

let's see...

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=hemoglobin&p=par

[pnutts]

Hemoglobin is normally contained within the red blood cell membrane. "Free" hemoglobin, natural or modified ( as in Hemopure-bovine or Polyheme-human ), causes major health problems including death-it migrates out of blood vessels and damages/kill organs such as liver and kidneys, etc.

When stored blood ages -it loses intregrity-very quickly. Within hours most of the nitric oxide is gone ( keeps blood vessels open - e.g. nitro for heart pain ) plus another chemical ( xxd5? don't have notes in front of me ) becomes inactive -once blood is cooled and is why stored blood does Not Release Oxygen for 24 to 48 hours after transfusion.

Thus you end up with a thick volume expander -which makes heart work harder - and it cause some immune response in Everybody to lesser or greater degree-called TRIM ( Transfusion Related Immunomodulation )-some of which may not show up for a long time -Delayed Transfusion Reaction, etcetera, etcetera.

More info can be found at a site where some are brothers who are administrators/moderators---noblood.org This is no longer a mainly witness only website.

[Cool Cat]

Hemoglobin is normally contained within the red blood cell membrane. "Free" hemoglobin, natural or modified ( as in Hemopure-bovine or Polyheme-human ), causes major health problems including death-it migrates out of blood vessels and damages/kill organs such as liver and kidneys, etc.

When stored blood ages -it loses intregrity-very quickly. Within hours most of the nitric oxide is gone ( keeps blood vessels open - e.g. nitro for heart pain ) plus another chemical ( xxd5? don't have notes in front of me ) becomes inactive -once blood is cooled and is why stored blood does Not Release Oxygen for 24 to 48 hours after transfusion.

Thus you end up with a thick volume expander -which makes heart work harder - and it cause some immune response in Everybody to lesser or greater degree-called TRIM ( Transfusion Related Immunomodulation )-some of which may not show up for a long time -Delayed Transfusion Reaction, etcetera, etcetera.

More info can be found at a site where some are brothers who are administrators/moderators---noblood.org This is no longer a mainly witness only website.

I noticed already that you have commented on that site. You seem quite knowledgeable. Was that through personal research and study?

[pnutts]

yes I am fairly well knowledgable about that website. I first discovered it back in late 1990's - lost my access info when updated to new operating system so I am now "pnutts" on there as well. Larry Eitel the webmaster/founder is a brother as is Jan Wade ( HLC member ? ) however not all admin are. It is a lot better now.

I have also done my own research- a lot not available without a lot of research. There is also a very well presented news discussion that as far as I know is now only available online on my YouTube channel -user name pnutts27 ( I got written permission to post it ) available in 2 or 4 parts -had problems with youtube's time length counter.

2 of the doctors are in our videos. pnutts27 channel

[retroHelen]

Useful Bro to know - Peter>

[Cool Cat]

Thanks Peter for the links to the videos. I have seen it before but i have a feeling not in their entirety. Thanks.

[pnutts]

Here are a couple of video links-one from Georgetown U Hospital's open house March 5/11 and 2 from Englewood Hospital.

Georgetown 42 minutes open house video

Englewood video 1

Englewood education video

The last segment ( there are 4-if you start with Evans it should continue through all 4 ) of Georgetown's features a nurse Dick Verstraete - who is a bit of a comedian.

His 1st experience with a witness patient was at another center-He being a cardiac care nurse was on night shift and a witness had CABG.

'How do I take care of him?' "Just don't give blood." 'What else? and there was nothing in place so he started a program over there'

"Now this is how great God works. I work the night shift and was getting ready to go to bed and someone knocked at my door. I opened the door and 2 people were ther saying' We are with Jehovah's Witnesses' " Come On In! I never saw bigger smiles on their faces......" for the conclusion watch the video. A shorter version in reverse order ( 4th and 2nd segments ) link to youtube is on noblood.org -or was. A brother ( Lekozza ) from Britain put it up.

Enjoy.

[bookworm]

Thank you so much for posting those videos. It is so clear that Jehovah is teaching us to benefit ourselves. We recently had to face the blood issue when our grandson was born the middle of June. Doctors and nurses put so much pressure one you, telling you that there is no alternative to taking blood, it is such a blessing to have information like this to help you stand firm and be able to respectfully, but confidently point out that, yes, there are alternatives. She is doing well now, after receiving two infusions of iron, her blood count has gone up almost 4 points in a week and a half.

[pucca]

Peter thank you so much for all the extra information. I clicked on all the links and hope to watch them this evening. May Jehovah bless your hard work ~ as it is of benefit to all of us Agape, Cherie