Alternative ways to diagnose

Have you noticed? Do you remember the arrival, a long time ago, of the cine x-ray angiography system which could show the heart at work. I was there and sold alternative x-ray machines with less radiation: remember every bit of radiation which is absorbed to make a picture damages or destroys human tissue so the average lay person (me) says. Some stroke doctors don’t or can’t dissolve clots. It does require delicate positioning guiding of a hand held syringe of toxic alteplase to a clot, with x-ray guidance, not a job for a chronic sneezer! I have never seen a report on the procedure of clot removal to replace my guess, why?

Reading S.F. publications one is bombarded with the need for speed in stroke treatment, it extended from 3 hours to 4 hours, and is now settled at 4.5 hours. I have not seen any technical explanation of what happens when the limits at a time were exceeded. The clot busters don’t get to explain S.F. Publications, in fact the non-clot busters who get to mention thrombolysis only do so to show when it should not be sued, which is most of the time. I have written that if a clot is left alone its entry point of static blood will increase the length of the blockage, and a similar thing happens to the exit vessel as it winds on through the brain, both adding to brain damage. Any problems?

I tried to explain in an article how the transfer of arterial blood to the brain takes place. Due to lack of physical knowledge it is mostly rubbish.

However, it is clear that without rushing high pressure arterial blood no transfer to the brain at points of porosity can take place. Remember that liquids cannot be compressed.

On a common sense level, why have a high pressure pump at all? Work it out.

I rest my case.

Disclosure I had an uneventful alteplase thrombolysis. 6/2012

Angus