Blood transfusions raise numerous difficulties. The most obvious one entails finding a match. Antigens which determine blood type can cause life threatening reactions among patients. Moreover,determining blood type can cost precious time in trauma cases. In addition, other undetectable diseases may contaminate blood which might contribute to further complications. Blood has a relative short life span and can spoil quickly. All of these problems have lead to research into various synthetic blood technologies. These are currently undergoing clinical trials, but maybe be available to hospitals relatively soon.

Volume expanders don’t carry out any of the key functions of human blood, but they can help with stabilization of trauma patients. The loss of pressure remains one of the most dangerous aspects of blood loss. Blood is highly oxygenated and so even a reduced amount can continue to sustain the human body in an inactive state. However, a loss of pressure reduces the ability of the heart to pump oxygenated blood around the body. Synthetic volume expanders don’t run the danger of immunologic reactions because it contains no antigens. One can maintain blood pressure through the crisis before switching to a traditional blood transfusion.

Synthetic platelets provide the next exciting field of research. Platelets help the body stop bleeding by attaching themselves around the wound until it’s closed over. Synthetic platelets can be added to an intravenous solution to help increase clotting. In addition, it has longer shelf life than traditional blood and can be stored as a powder. This increased clotting power can make all the difference from the trauma ward and operating room. Synthetic clotting agents are right around the corner, but more complex forms of synthetic blood are still off in the distance.

One of the greatest difficulties in replicating human blood lies in oxygen transportation because most materials which hold oxygen well don’t give it up well. However, there has been some success with Hemoglobin based treatments, but they’re still in clinical trials with many of the most advanced treatments being canceled to do problems with toxicity. Nevertheless, cheap synthetic blood stands as a possibility within our lifetime.

An MRI has an important place in any hospital. It doesn’t use ionizing radiation like CT scans and so there’s much less chance of complications for patients. The MRI provides especially good imagining of different tissues and proves useful in brain scans, cardiovascular scans, and oncology. MRI machines are incredibly expensive. Traditionally insurance and federal funding have supported MRIs, but the Federal Deficiet Reduction Act has reduced payments for an MRI. This economic reality colors any institutions consideration in regards to an MRI. However, there are several different advances and avenues to consider in regards to MRIs.

The first question concerns the resolution of the MRI. Currently, there are both 1.5 and 3.0 Tesla MRIs. The 3.0 Tesla MRIs have a much higher imaging resolution. This allows them to pick up a wider range of phenomena when scanning the patient which will aid in diagnosis. However, they’re much more expensive and they’re currently all close bore which can cause discomfort especially to patients with claustrophobia or anxiety.

One can find a wide range of different models and advances when considering a 1.5 Tesla model. Some of the newest models can maintain the magnetic field even with an open side. This allows patients to have an open experience will still maintaining the imagining level. This level of comfort for patients might be worth the trade off in resolution especially if one can refer them to a nearby hospital with a more powerful MRI.

One should consider cost as well as comfort. A higher resolution MRI may garner referrals for difficult cases from other local hospitals and clinics even if they have their own. However, it might make sense to go with a cheaper and more comfortable MRI if the area is already saturated by a high level of high imagining MRIs. One should always factor in cost to the purchase of large equipment or it can quickly become a drain on the hospital or clinics finances and reduce resources for patient care.