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From: wick@ihuxw.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Puzzled by treatment
Message-ID: <675@ihuxw.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Jan-84 00:20:35 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxw.675
Posted: Wed Jan 25 00:20:35 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Jan-84 01:19:29 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 24

[]


Last weekend in Chicago a 4 yr. old boy fell through the ice
of Lake Michigan, and was trapped there for 20 minutes.  When
he was pulled out, he was "dead," but the cold water slowed
his metabolism down to the point he was almost in a state
of suspended animation.  The boy seems to be on the way to
recovery, whether there is any permanent damage is not known
yet, but the treatment of the doctors has me puzzled.

When the boy was brought to the hospital, he was given
barbiturates and put into a coma.  The barbiturate dosage
is now being reduced, so he should start coming out of
the coma on Thursday.

My question: What are the benefits of a barbiturate induced coma?
             This is a little counter intuitive.


-- 

John Wickberg
..!ihnp4!ihuxw!wick