Posted by John Nichols on March 21, 2006 at 04:46:17 from 70.191.149.99 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Re: Little Old Ladies posted by Peter H on March 20, 2006 at 12:38:44:
Peter:
I take no offense at being asked to explain technical terms. The only way we learn is to ask. I ask why all the time.
Rota virus turns out to be one of the most contagious gut bugs you can get. It strikes mainly young children and if they do not receive liquids quickly enough to rehydrate they die a most painful death. I have had that sort of bug from a Sewage Treatment Work failure and I can tell you you feel so sick death would be preferable. It was only recognized in the last 20 or 30 years as the major problem. In the western world where most kids can get to hospital a lot get sick - about 30 to 40 % of hospital admissions for children during the peak season. 610,000 people die of this every year - mainly children in third world.
Now a vaccine was created and it worked, but the agent delivering the vaccine caused a small percentage of intessusceptions in the children. This is a bowel blockage caused by the bowel folding in on itself like folding a sock. These can be treated with a piece of equipment made in the back yard for about 10 - 20 by any decent handyman. I know my daughter Eliza had one and was treated using the Chinese home made equipment. 100 million dollar hospital and a 2 by 4 and a piece of fishing tank plastic tubing saved her life.
Based on the worst statistic 150 lives could be saved for every potential blockage, remembering the ones having the bowel blockages are also part of the group that could die from the Rota virus so it is not an exclusive set.
The quote from the Indian MD was "But when the first case of intestinal blockage occured, I would not be forgiven for allowing a vaccine that had been withdrawn in the USA to be use din my country."
We could withdraw it becuase the US has a medical system that throws money at the solution. Treat all the children with the illness 70,000 hospital visits per year and 2 million at home, rather than lose anyone to a bowel blockage. It is nightmarish keep up with the Jones. The Indian system can not treat the dehyrdation nor can a lot of countries.
Thankfully now a vaccine is coming on line.
Hopefully we will increase the world's population with young kids.
A female MD said to me on Friday night - we can not save them all and if we did they could not be fed. I looked her in the bloody eyes and said - you save and the engineers and agricultural people will provide enough food in the world.
That is the long and the short of it.
Doctors really do not care about you at all.
JMN