When a NASA astronaut at the International Space Station developed a blood clot, doctors took an innovative yet old-school approach to treatment.
Physician and space travel devotee Stephan Moll’s first wish when NASA reached out for a consultation was to examine the patient in person – at the International Space Station.
NASA has not revealed the patient’s name or the time frame of the incident to protect the privacy of the astronaut, who was two months into a six-month mission at the ISS. The astronaut detected the blood clot – known in medical terms as a deep vein thrombosis, or DVT – while doing neck ultrasound examinations as part of a NASA study on the effects of weightlessness on blood flow.
Moll pointed out blood clots are not always dangerous and usually dissolve on their own. Occasionally they develop on the legs of passengers traveling long stretches in cramped conditions. Story continuesAfter assessing the risk of those outcomes against the likelihood the astronaut may bleed from an injury at the ISS, Moll and the NASA physicians decided to treat the patient with blood thinners, which were available in limited supply. New dosages arrived 43 days later via a supply aircraft – not quite like the typical visit to the corner drugstore.
The case certainly presented unique challenges. For one, there wasn’t any similar history for the doctors to lean on in devising a treatment plan. This was the first known instance of a U.S. astronaut developing a DVT while in outer space. Even on Earth, there has been little documentation of how isolated inter-jugular clots behave without treatment and how often they reoccur.
“It was almost like a regular clinic visit,’’ said Moll, who fulfilled a longtime dream when he was invited to visit NASA facilities in Houston. “However, in my field of hematology and coagulation, telemedicine or electronic consultations will and should play a big role in the future, so people don’t have to travel to the clinic.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
https://people.comGet the latest news about celebrities, royals, music, TV, and real people. Find exclusive content, including photos and videos, on PEOPLE.com.
Baca lebih lajut »
NASA astronaut treated for blood clot at International Space Station
Baca lebih lajut »
NASA, Boeing probe software glitch that stopped astronaut capsule from reaching space stationNASA is opening an independent investigation with Boeing over a software glitch ...
Baca lebih lajut »