Polyheme passes 500 patient safety evaluation

[krj00]

Northfield Labs' Blood-Substitute Study Gets Safety Clearance From Independent Monitoring Panel


EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) -- Northfield Laboratories Inc. said Tuesday that an independent monitoring committee reviewed data from the first 500 patients to receive transfusions with its experimental blood-substitute and said it was safe to continue the study.

Northfield's PolyHeme product is derived from human blood but can last longer without refrigeration and is designed as a transfusion alternative in emergencies when a patient has had extreme blood loss.

The Independent Data Monitoring Committee reviewed data on mortality from the first 500 patients and said the pivotal trial could proceed. The committee is periodically reviewing the safety data from the trial to minimize risks to patients.

[Paramed85]

Are they using this on people who need a routine or in hospital transfusion or is this just for traumas??? Just a question that popped into my head.

[dfdmedic498]

It is for severe blood loss for trauma patients only.

[dfdmedic498]

I was advised that everyone is going to be trained on the use of this product. They are going to get the individuals that are assigned to those units I mentioned before, first, so they can get the study up and running. After that, everyone else will be trained to cover details and overtime personell.

[Paramed85]

Thank you 498.

[anthonyt]

While I think that it's spectacular that we are being included in the trial, I just wish we could take the class in service.... (you know while on a regular duty day...) Although I do understand why we can't take classes on duty days, even though the fire fighters can....

[mike]

Although I do understand why we can't take classes on duty days, even though the fire fighters can

For the same reason we have to do light duty downtown doing paperwork (which should be a seperate job for somone IMO if it has to be done everyday...)

[anthonyt]

indeed!

[Paramed85]

good luck and g-d speak!

[MAGOOMEDIC]

SOmeone told me the this polyheem causes renal failure... dont know it to be true, but we are the ones who are supposed to be doing this trial, the only thing they are gonna tell us is that this is the endall beall....



Dave

[Tatersalad]

Heard exactly the same thing from a nurse that works at Toledo Hospital. They looked at doing the same thing but it was shown to not increase discharge rates at all....

[bloodn'guts]

Who really cares about this crap ? It just something more for them to charge us with anyways. Shit, i rather have headbeds, sheets or driveable rigs among other things. Like Detroit, this won't work or be accurate.

[dfdmedic498]

Um...it's not something the city foots the bill for and the department has nothing to do with it as far as charging us for using it.

This study can't hurt. What we have now turns people into kool-aid vs. something that may have a potential to be used for other purposes in the future other than just trauma. In the meantime, just use it the way it was described to us, in the manner prescribed.

I doubt that it will cause renal insufficiancy due to the fact that it is derived from human blood. This study could with hope and luck, lead to using this instead of whole blood in some cases due to the tainted blood supply we have now...i.e. hep-b and c and hiv. This stuff has potential, so let's just roll with the punches and see what happens.

[bloodn'guts]

sorry, i didn't mean that type of charge(cost). The "charges" where these stupid dumbass supervisors have something new to bother us with.

[dfdmedic498]

It's higly unlikely that anyone will ever get charges due to this study.