Doctors Change the Way They Think About Death

May 2, 2007 | Source: Newsweek

Standard emergency-room procedure has it backward, says Dr. Lance Becker, director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Resuscitation Science: blood-starved heart muscle is suddenly flooded with oxygen, precisely the situation that leads to cell death.

Instead, Becker says, we should aim to reduce oxygen uptake, slow metabolism and adjust the blood chemistry for gradual and safe reperfusion.