A Science News article reported a study of the effect of cooling the blood of st
ID: 3119526 • Letter: A
Question
A Science News article reported a study of the effect of cooling the blood of stroke patients on the extent of recovery ninety days after the stroke. Researchers randomly assigned 58 severe-stroke patients to receive either tPA (the standard treatment for stroke) or tPA plus blood- chilling. Regulators overseeing the study required a one-hour delay from the point at which tPA was given before cooling could be started. The researchers found no significant difference in the effects of the two treatments on recovery. Researchers also noted that the recovery rate for both groups was worse than the average seen in stroke patients nationwide, but were not concerned. Why were they unconcerned?Explanation / Answer
The reason why the scientiests were unconcerned of the slow recovery rates was because they know that the blood cooling was being done an hour after the tPA. Now, the whole point of blood chilling technique is supposed to be to fastening the recovery process of standard treatment by cooling the blood of the patient. And combining this with the fact that standard medications given to stroke patients have instantaneous effects. Therefore, if we use the blood cooling along with tPA an hour after the standard medication was given, it will result in no additional support to the standard medication and the recovery process will take the much longer time than it actually should.