Suspended Animation: Changing the Face of Emergency Care

An article in the May 2007 issue of Discover Magazine about suspended animation caught my attention. When we hear the words suspended animation we usually connect them with space travel due to the common theme of many science fiction television shows and movies. But this time those words take on a whole new meaning.

Suspended animation may be a common medical procedure in the not too distant future. Suspended animation in medicine can be thought of as a type of hibernation. The technique would be used to slow the body's metabolic activity and lessen the need for oxygen. This would increase the chance of survival for those who are in critical condition.

Patients that are suffering from heart attack or have sustained critical injuries from car accidents often die in the ambulance during transport or shortly after arriving at the emergency room. By putting the patient in an induced state of suspended animation for a brief period of time surgeons can maintain the individual's life until the damage can be repaired. Ambulances and emergency rooms would be equipped with units to sustain life in a state of suspended animation. Time is essential in dealing with critical injuries and illness. An ambulance can only move so fast. Suspended animation techniques could significantly increase the survival rate of critical patients.

At the forefront of research into the development of suspended animation techniques is Peter Safar, a Professor of Resuscitation Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. An independent group of trauma surgeons from Massachusetts General Hospital have also followed suit. Suspended animation techniques that would cool the body resembles a form of hypothermia which done in a controlled environment could save lives.