Slashdot Mirror


Heart Attacks as Treatments

cannon_trodder writes "Just caught a story at the BBC which explains how surgeons are going to be demonstrating a surgical technique that involves deliberately inducing a heart attack in order to remove over-thickened tissue in the heart. The article also explains that the 3 procedures will be transmitted directly to a cardiology conference with the 100 delegates able to ask questions during the op. 'If it ain't fixed, break it.'"

8 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. Similar to shock treatments by mfos.org · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Two psychiatrists (whose names escape me) noticed that after having seizures, patients would become more docile. They also noticed that in slaughter houses when the cattle where killed by means of a sledge hammer to the head, they appeared to have seizures.

    Realizing that they couldn't strike people over the head too often before permanent damage resulted, they resorted to electrical shocks, and electro-shock therapy was born.

    1. Re:Similar to shock treatments by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 2

      They also noticed that the inmates of insane asylums masturbated openly and frequently, leading to the conclusion that masturbation leads to insanity.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
  2. Quick Correction - Re:Similar to shock treatments by mfos.org · · Score: 2

    It was only the cows that didn't immediatly die that had the seizures, sometimes the blows wouldn't kill the animal.

  3. ...and snake oil is real, and it works. by uncoveror · · Score: 2

    Heart attacks can be used as a treatment to cure heart disease. If you are blown away by that, you should also know that snake oil is real, and it works!

    --
    The Uncoveror: It's the real news.
  4. been done before... sorta. by dev0n · · Score: 2, Interesting

    there's a drug called Adenosine that is administered to people with certain heart rhythm disorders.

    "Adenocard (adenosine injection) exerts its effect by decreasing conduction through the A-V node and may produce a short lasting first-, second- or third-degree heart block."

    Source: http://www.fujisawa.com/medinfo/pi/pi_page_ac.htm

    it's not the same as injecting alcohol into someone's heart to stop it, but i wanted to point out that stopping someone's heart to "cure" a condition has already been done. :)

    and yes, i realize that heart block and heart attack are two separate things, but they both have the same end result: no heartbeat.

  5. Re:Nothing strange with cubic liters by CyberDruid · · Score: 2

    [liter^3] = [(dm^3)^3] = [dm^9]
    Something must be measured in units of dm^9, right?

    --

    Opinions stated are mine and do not reflect those of the Illuminati

  6. Re:Probably not even close, but the application.. by Fat+Casper · · Score: 2
    Um... Those were atropine injectors. ATP injectors would be handy to help you run very quickly out of the contaminated area, but ineffective in helping your body break down any nerve agents.

    --
    I spent a year in Iraq looking for WMD and all I found was this lousy sig.
  7. Re:Probably not even close, but the application.. by oldstrat · · Score: 2

    jhampson has it right, the LEG not the heart.
    And pray that you had time to do it, because by the time symptoms start, you were not likely to have enough muscle control to hit something as big as your thigh, much less the relatively fine motor control needed to prep the injector.
    Most of us, I believe resigned to the fact that in a situation where it was needed, you were as good as dead.
    The injection would incapacitate you.