I hope I never have an accident in Chicago

[Lilith]

Apparently you risk becoming part of medical studies (http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/03/02/blood.substitute.ap/index.html) without your consent.

[dicksbro]

It's hard to imagine that such things are done. :(


Then again ... maybe it's not. :rolleyes:

[osuche]

Reeks of ethics issues...I bet hospitals earn money by participating in the study.

[Lilith]

I think it's appalling.

[WildIrish]

OMG!!!

A plasma-cebo? wtf?


Why can't people just do what they're supposed to?

[fredchabotnick]

Yep. I had an interview at that company about 4 years ago. It's a good concept, but almost impossible to properly test under the circumstances where it would be the most useful. Also, the FDA has no idea how to deal with it, so they have to keep trying to find ways to test it. Which runs smack dab into the first point again.
Still, I'd really like the product to succeed, assuming that it works and the risks aren't bad (which doesn't look like the case right now). It's be nice to know that there was something available for trauma victims that didn't involve dumping in pint after pint of O neg.

And Lilith, if you ever get into an accident here, I'm sure there are enough Chicagoans to help bail you out :-)

[gekkogecko]

No wonder people are so willing to believe in freaked-out conspiracy theories.

[BruceandNan]

Osuche- It's all about the money. That company or any company will pay any hospital to try it's product, then the hospital goes and bills you an ungodly amount of money for the test blood. Nine times out of ten your insurance company will not pay for this experimental product.

Wild Irish- Why don't people do what is right, the hospital won't make money so they can expand and be able to charge you more to cover the cost of that expansion.

We live in America, remember our slogan, Get rich anyway you can, as long as you screw the little guy and the poor.

[Oldfart]

As a little aside, doesn't the idea of a blood transfusion with no fear of AIDS or the other nasties appeal?

[Lilith]

Yes, I love the idea but I hate that people are being used without their consent when they are most vulnerable.

[Oldfart]

That's the bad part, and someone should be smacked heavily.

[BruceandNan]

Yes, a blood transfusion with no fear is a good idea, but when you die of a heart attack from using this fake blood you still have a fear. Either way you end up dead.

[Oldfart]

They can do things, sometimes successfully, about heart failure.

Dead is a little harder with current technology.

[Sharni]

Interesting....i can see the pros and cons of this fake blood