In the News: Liver Transplant Machine
The article I chose could potentially save millions of lives. A machine has been developed in the UK that can keep a liver alive for up to 24 hours outside the human body (Broyd, 2013. para 6). Currently a transplant liver is kept on ice, but this process can cause damage to the organ. It is estimated that around 2,000 livers are discarded every year because the organ dies before it can be transplanted into the patient (Broyd, 2013. para 4). So far there have been two successful cases of transplants using the new machine. The machine uses oxygenated red blood cells to keep the liver alive instead of ice which slows the metabolism of the organ (Broyd, 2013. para 9). The article focuses on serving all functions of
Public Health. This machine provides new insights and innovative solutions to health problems
(Schneider, 2011. pg 6).
References:
Schneider, MJ. (2011). Introduction to Public Health (3 rd
edition). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett
Broyd, N. (2013 March 18). Liver Transplant Worlds First . Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.boots.com/digestive-disorders/news/20130318/liver-transplant-world-first