Have you ever wondered why the route of breathing is only the nose or mouth? Japanese scientists proved that oxygen can be taken from the butt also. It sounds funny, but it is a serious medical discovery. A recent clinical trial showed that this method is safe. If it is successful, it could become an alternative way for patients when their breathing tubes are blocked.
How does this method work?
The name of this process is ‘enteral ventilation’. In this, a special liquid, called perfluorocarbon, is inserted into the rectum. This liquid is filled with a lot of oxygen. The idea is for oxygen to pass through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream. Due to this, the patient does not need to breathe through nose or mouth.
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This may be beneficial for patients whose breathing tubes are blocked, such as due to suffocation or injury. This idea is not new. This already happens in animals. Pigs, rats, turtles and some fishes take oxygen from behind in times of trouble. This research for humans last year won the Ignoble Prize in Physiology or Medicine – which honors funny but scientific discoveries.
What happened in the trial?
This was the first human trial, which was only to check the safety. Efficacy testing is still pending. Japan 27 healthy male volunteers were selected. He was given a liquid that did not contain oxygen (for safety). Each person had to keep 25 ml to 1500 ml of liquid in the rectum. Had to hold for 60 minutes.
The results came back positive. No serious side effects occurred. Yes, those given the highest dose (1500 ml) experienced abdominal bloating, discomfort and mild pain. Rest of the vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate all remained normal. Only 7 people had trouble holding it for the whole hour. Everyone else tolerated it well.
opinion of scientists
Takanori Takebe, a biomedical scientist at Osaka University, says that this is the first time data has come on humans. The results only show the safety of the procedure, not its effectiveness. But now that the endurance has been proven, the next step will be to test the delivery of oxygen to the blood through oxygenated liquid.
The next trial will be on liquid containing oxygen. We will see how much quantity and for how long the patient’s blood oxygen level will improve by keeping it. This trial will be conducted on patients who are actually in need of oxygen.
Why is this discovery important?
Respiratory problems are a major disease throughout the world. In an epidemic like Covid, lakhs of people needed ventilators. If this method works, it will become a backup option. Especially in places where traditional methods are not possible. But it is still in the initial stage. More trials will take time. this research Made Published in the journal.
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