Health Headlines - 4-30-20

In today's health headlines we talk about how a device has been created to help in dire circumstances as a ventilator.

This device can be used to help in many ways but it is only for the most severe cases.

The University of Oxford has already vaccinated hundreds with its' experimental vaccine.

A TEAM AT NORTHWESTERN MEDICINEIN CHICAGO HAS COME UP WITH ASPECIAL DEVICE TO SAVE ACORONAVIRUS- INFECTED PATIENT'SLIFE.CHRIS HUSH HAS A LOOK AT HOW THEDEVICE COULD BECOME ANALTERNATIVE TO AVENTILATOR UNDER DIRECIRCUMSTANCES.NAT CELL PHONE VIDEO"IT OXYGENATES, REMOVES THECARBON DIOXIDE."IT'S A DEVICE THAT WAS BEEN USEDON FLU PATIENTS AT NORTHWESTERNMEDICINE JUST THREEMONTHS AGO.YOU MAY RECALL OUR STORY ONJAVIER AFTER THE ECMO MACHINESAVED HIS LIFE.TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME ATNORTHWESTERN THAT SAME MACHINEHAS SAVED THE LIFE OF A PATIENTWITHCOVID-19.14CATIE SCHMIT/V.P., CHIEF NURSEEXECUTIVE, MCHENRY HOSPITAL"WITHOUT THIS ABILITY TO GETTHIS PATIENT TO A HIGHER LEVELOF CARE, THE OUTCOME COULD HAVEBEEN MUCH DIFFERENT."CHIEF NURSE EXECUTIVE, CATIESCHMIT, SAYS THE MEDICAL TEAMMADE ITS FIRST TRANSPORT OF ANECMO MACHINE FROM DOWNTOWN TOMCHENRY HOSPITAL WITHIN HOURS.THAT'S ALL THE TIME THE PATIENTHAD.CATIE SCHMIT/V.P., CHIEF NURSEEXECUTIVE, MCHENRY HOSPITAL"THE TWO TEAMS HAD TO COMETOGETHER AND BRIEF ON THESITUATION AND ALMOST DO ASIMULATION INTHEIR MINDS."DR. ANKIT BHARAT/NORTHWESTERNMEDICINE"THIS IS THEIR LAST-DITCHEFFORT."ECMO IS ONLY USED IN THE MOSTSEVERE CASES.THE MACHINE REMOVES THE BLOODFROM THE BODY--THEN PUMPS OXYGENINTO THE BLOOD... THINK OFIT AS AN EXTERNAL HEART OR ALUNG ALLOWING THE DAMAGED ORGANSTO REST.NAT CELL PHONE VIDEO"ALL THE GAS EXCHANGE HAPPENS INTHIS OXYGENATOR.

FROM THERE,THROUGH THIS RED TUBING,THE BLOOD GETS TRANSPORTED BACKTO THE PATIENT"TODAY, THE PATIENT IS OFF OFECMO AND IS EXPECTED TO MAKE AFULL RECOVERY FROM COVID-19.ALTHOUGH ECMO ISN'T THE FIRSTOPTION TO REPLACE A VENTILATORNORTHWESTERN'S DR. ANKITBHARAT SAYS IT'S OPTION THAT CANBUY TIME.1:19DR. ANKIT BHARAT/NORTHWESTERNMEDICINE"IT NEEDS TO BE DONE AT VERYSELECT CENTERS.

IT'S VERYRESOURCE INTENSIVE."AND WITH HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDSOF NEW CASES EVERYDAY TIME ISOF THE ESSENCE.THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD SAYSTHEY HAVE ALREADY VACCINATEDHUNDREDSOF PEOPLE WITH THEIREXPERIMENTAL COVID-19 VACCINEAND EXPECT RESULTS IN MID-JUNE.ONE PROFESSOR SAYS RESEARCHERSWANT TO MAKE SURE THE REST OFTHE WORLD WILL BEREADY TO MAKE THE VACCINE ATSCALE ONCE IT GETS APPROVAL FROMREGULATORS.THEY'RE WORKING WITHPHARMACEUTICAL COMPANYASTRA-ZENECA FOR INTERNATIONALDISTRIBUTION AND WILL MAKE ITAVAILABLE IN LOW TO MEDIUMINCOMECOUNTRIES.BOTH OXFORD AND ASTRAZENECA HAVEAGREED TO OPERATE ON A NOT-FORPROFIT BASISWITH THE VACCINE.