Humans put into suspended animation for first time
by Ian Sample Science editor from on (#4VD90)
Groundbreaking trial in US rapidly cools trauma victims with catastrophic injury to buy more time for surgery
Doctors have put humans into a state of suspended animation for the first time in a groundbreaking trial that aims to buy more time for surgeons to save seriously injured patients.
The process involves rapidly cooling the brain to less than 10C by replacing the patient's blood with ice-cold saline solution. Typically the solution is pumped directly into the aorta, the main artery that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.
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