Scientists Reverse Brain Damage in Drowned Toddler?
Disclaimer: I am a neurologist<p>The enthusiastic replies on this thread are understandable, but disappointing to see: we all need to be less credulous regarding the lay science press, and especially the lay medical press.<p>I would love nothing more than to have this kind of therapy be a reality for my patients. However, I am deeply skeptical of this report.<p>Why? Because<p>- hyperbaric oxygen therapy has a big industry of quackery behind it[1][2]<p>- oxygen is a standard part of medical care and can just as easily be harmful as helpful<p>- because there is just no way in hell that oxygen is going to reverse cell death.<p>- this is in newsweek, and not a peer-reviewed journal.<p>And if there was no cell death, then the recovery is almost inevitable.<p>Some posters are skeptical because 15 minutes is impossible.<p>On the contrary: the key point is the temperature. The article says the water was 4 degrees C. That is cold enough that you <i>can</i> recover fully. In fact, the most amazing recovery is also one of the best-documented: with a 66-minute submersion in Utah that was followed by complete recovery[3] (this is a far more interesting article than the original post - it was in 1988, and utilized extracorporeal rewarming). This observation was used to pursue hypothermia in other causes of anoxic injury, which is clinically used today. I&#x27;m sure the 66-minute case also got oxygen during the recovery, but to say that it was due to oxygen (which is standard of care) rather than the temperature is silly.<p>Sorry to be a wet blanket, but this article is just clickbait junk.<p>1. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.fda.gov&#x2F;ForConsumers&#x2F;ConsumerUpdates&#x2F;ucm364687.htm" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.fda.gov&#x2F;ForConsumers&#x2F;ConsumerUpdates&#x2F;ucm364687.h...</a><p>2. <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.quackwatch.org&#x2F;01QuackeryRelatedTopics&#x2F;HBOT&#x2F;hm01.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.quackwatch.org&#x2F;01QuackeryRelatedTopics&#x2F;HBOT&#x2F;hm01...</a><p>3. <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;1988&#x2F;07&#x2F;26&#x2F;science&#x2F;the-doctor-s-world-ingenuity-and-a-miraculous-revival.html?pagewanted=all" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;1988&#x2F;07&#x2F;26&#x2F;science&#x2F;the-doctor-s-world...</a>