NEWS
FRIDAY, MARCH 17. 2006
▼ HEALTH
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3A
KU Med says PolyHeme safe; study continues
"Sometimes it's an advantage not to be absolutely first," he said, "and this has been a perfect case of that."
"The analysis of this study has determined that it's kind of an apples and oranges situation," McCulloch said.
He also said that it was common for studies to add protocols and make changes as they progress.
Jim Murray, a division chief for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical agreed, calling the current study "tremendously different" than the one published in February.
BY MEILDA RICKETTS
mrickettss@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The results of a study recently published in the Wall Street Journal suggested that PolyHeme, a blood substitute, was unsafe. The University of Kansas Medical Center and Douglas County don't agree, and plan to continue experimental trials.
In the study cited in the Wall Street Journal, patients were given a combination of up to 20 units of PolyHeme and saline. Dennis McCulloch, a spokesman for the Medical Center, said the hospital's analysis of that study determined that bad reactions in patients were the result of excess fluids and not the PolyHeme.
The trial that the Medical Center is conducting calls for patients to be given no more than six units of PolyHeme for up to 12 hours.
"There are completely different controls in this trial," he said.
PolyHeme has potential advantages over saline for trauma patients because PolyHeme can carry oxygen and saline cannot.
The study will compare the survival rate of patients who receive PolyHeme to those who receive standard care, which is saline at the site of injury and blood in the hospital.
Those who do not wish to be considered for participation in the study can obtain a free "opt out" wristband, similar to an allergy bracelet, by contacting Suzanne Porras at (913) 588-3005 or by contacting the local fire and medical department.
The study has a very narrow range of participants. Murray said the main factors were that the patient had to be an adult who was in shock and had sustained blood-penetrating trauma. Only patients who will receive treatment at the Medical Center can be part of the study. He said that most of the people flown to the Medical Center wouldn't qualify.
The study will compare the survival rate of patients who receive PolyHeme to those who receive standard care, which is saline at the site of injury and blood in the hospital.
The three counties participating are Douglas, Leavenworth and Wyandotte. The Medical Center is one of about 33 Level I trauma centers nationwide participating in the study. The study will conclude when it has had a total of 720 participants.
- Edited by James Foley
Putting out the flames
A member of the Trenton-Jackson Rural Fire Department sprays down a fire south of Hanston, Kan., in Hodgeman County Wednesday afternoon. Two grass fires in the county, which burned an estimated 14,000 acres, were fueled by high winds.
Michael Schweitzer/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NATION
Bush renews pre-emptive policy
BY DEB RIECHMANN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON—On Thursday, President Bush renewed his administration's strike-first policy against terrorists and other U.S. enemies, and rebuked Iran over allegations that it is secretly amassing nuclear weapons.
The White House said that by reaffirming the pre-emptive policy, the United States was not targeting Iran. Yet the national security strategy includes harsh words for the Iranian government, which Bush says may pose the greatest challenge to the U.S.
tion with friends and allies. That is our preference," Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser, said about the doctrine on pre-emption.
"It simply says, that one cannot let dangers grow to the point of eminent threat to the United States without taking action, and if other measures fail, obviously we retain the right to use force."
"Our preference is to act through diplomacy in conjunce-
The 49-page report also said: North Korea poses a serious nuclear proliferation challenge; expresses dismay at rollbacks in democratic reform in Russia; brands Syria a tyranny that harbors terrorists and sponsors terrorist activity; and warns China against denying personal and
political freedoms.
"China's leaders must realize, however, that they cannot stay on this peaceful path while holding on to old ways of thinking and acting that exacerbate concerns throughout the region and the world." Bush wrote.
The report accuses Iran of meddling in Iraq and equipping the insurgency, which is threatening a fragile democracy in Baghdad. The report was released as U.S. and Iraqi forces launched the largest air assault mission against insurgents and terrorists in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in April 2003.
The administration is working to persuade Russia and China to support a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Iran end its uranium enrichment program.
"This diplomatic effort must succeed if confrontation is to be avoided," Bush said. He did not elaborate on what would happen if international negotiations with Iran were to fail.
Hadley said the international effort must speak with one voice if diplomacy can succeed in getting Iran to curb this step in nuclear weapons development.
The report is an updated version of one Bush issued in 2002 that outlined the pre-emptive policy, marking the end of a deterrent military strategy that dominated the Cold War.
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