OXYGEN SHOTS INTO BLOOD CAN HELP PATIENT LIVE

London, June 30: Scientists claim to have found a new way of injecting oxygen into the blood to keep people alive even when they can't breathe during complex operations, a breakthrough they say could help doctors carry out critical surgeries.

The procedure, which works by injecting oxygen molecules enclosed in fatty molecules directly into the bloodstream, could give people an extra 30 minutes of life when they cannot breathe, researchers said.

“This is a short-term oxygen substitute, a way to safely inject oxygen gas to support patients during a critical few minutes,” lead researcher John Kheir, of the Boston Children’s Hospital, was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

Dr Kheir, who was inspired to begin his landmark research after he experienced a patient's tragic death, started working on the idea of bypassing the pulmonary system and inserting oxygen directly into the blood.

Early experiments showed the intervention could in theory be very successful.

“The technique could become routine for doctors and parademics dealing with emergency situations,” Dr Kheir said.

— PTI