100%

Scanned image of the page. Keyboard directions: use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, arrow keys to pan inside the viewer.

Page Options

Download this Issue

Share

Something wrong?

Something wrong with this page? Report problem.

Rights / Permissions

This collection, digitized in collaboration with the Michigan Daily and the Board for Student Publications, contains materials that are protected by copyright law. Access to these materials is provided for non-profit educational and research purposes. If you use an item from this collection, it is your responsibility to consider the work's copyright status and obtain any required permission.

August 30, 1968 - Image 10

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Michigan Daily, 1968-08-30

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

Poge Ten

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Friday, Auqust 30, 1968

PageTenTHE ICHGAN AIL

"Fridayts Aiiosustc Mv ..O 1 9iR

a

ir -rai ir ir 4-ik ev -w% -ir ri-v A -a- ro-v w-v A -a Ar

U' HOSPITAL TEAM:
Surgeons ready for transplant
as cardiac patient nears death

By JIM NEUBACHER
Like a squadron of jet fight-
er pilots, a 22-man surgical
team waits in University Hos-
pital for, the call to scramble
and scrub.
They wait for a call telling
them there is a potential donor
for a heart transplant operation
-their first.
They wait with a well re-
-hearsed schedule in hand, a
schedule that requires removal
of the donor's heart within ten
minutes of his death.
At the same time, the poten-
tial recipient is fighting a battle
with time, slowly dying of cardio
myopathy, a degeneration of the
heart muscle. He faces death'
unless a new heart is found for
him. Other potential recipients
have died in University Hos-
pital' waiting for a donor.i
In addition to this bluntly
obvious barrier, there are other
complications that have .added
to the tension surrounding the
planned operation.
The first of these has been
a monetary problem. The po-
tential recipient in the opera-
tion, Mr. Phillip T. Barnum,
an official in the secretary of
state's office in Kalamazoo, t
cannot afford to pay for the
operation and intensive hos-
pital care.
In order to fund the opera-
tion, Mr. Barnum; was :placed
in the Clinical Research Unit
(CRU) of the hospital.d The
CRU is supported by a federal
grant, and accepts only patients
with unusual medical problems.
The grant pays for the, care of
these patients and the doctors
have an opportunity to study
new and better treatments.
Recently, however, the unitt
was completely shut down be-
cause of a shortage of federal
funds, and Barnum faced pay-
ing for care in the regular hos-
pital himself.
The situation has been par-

tially resolved by University
Hospital officials who have
decided to make an exception
to the shut down of the unit.for
Barnum. And although the,
Barnum family is still legally
responsible for the finances at
this time, efforts are being made
to solicit private means of sup-
port. Sen. Phillip Hart is at-
tempting to have funds made
available to the University to
cover the cost of the trans-
plant.
In addition, the Veteran's Ad-
ministration has offered to pay
for the cost of the operation if
the patient is transferred to one
of its research facilities in Den-
ver, Colo. or Palp Alto, Calif.
Barnun's present condition
rules out such a move however,
unless it is absolutely necessary.
Another facet of the opera-
tion which has doctors worried
concerns the post-operative
stage of the transplant.
As far as the mechanics of
the operation go," said a hos-
pital spokesman,"they can take
them (hearts) out and put them
in again all day. The big prob-
lem is to prevent the body
from attacking this new heart
and rejecting i.
In order to combat this na-
tural phe tomnenon of rejection
in previous transplants, doctors
have used drugs thatvastly
inhibit the body's' ability to
fight off foreign substances.
rAt the' same' time, however,
rejection of normal viruses and
infections is also inhibited. Thus
the patient is tremendously
vulnerable to the simplest dis-
ease. Many of the first trans-
plant patients eventually died
from infections unrelated to the
transplant.
Recently however, doctors
have found that a drug called
anti-lymphocyte globulin (ALG)
helps prevent rejection of the
new organ while reducing the

possibility of infection to a min-
imum.
At a recent conference of
heart surgeons who had p e r-
formed transplants, many said
they would not attempt a trans-
plant 'without ALG. Among
these was Dr. Denton A. Cooley
of Baylor- University who has
performed eight transplants.
Two of Dr. Cooley's patients
have recovered so well they are
now out of the, hospital and
back to work.
The problem facing the uni-
versity team stems from the
fact that ALG has been banned
from interstate shipment until
it receives approval from the
Food and Drug Administration.
Thus, although the drug has
been used successfully injHous-
ton and Colorado, doctors here
must develop their own supply,
a long and tedious process ac-
cording to hospital sources.
The status of the operation
then, is one full of ironics,
fears and apprehensions. Ironic
that an operation that perhaps
represents the ultimate in hu-
man medicine, using tissues
from the body of one no longer
able to use them in rder ot give
life to another, may be foiled
by the recipient body, which
wants to reject this organ that
will give it a chance for life.
Or perhaps a donor will not
be found in time, and yet an-
other patient will die in the
"waiting 'room." Perhaps one
will be found, tomorrow, before
the doctors can finish making a
supply of ALG.
What ever the case, 22 of
University Hospital's best have
prepared as well as humanly
possible to take advantage of
any chance in the face of great
odds.

Earnings of
U.S.famiies
increasing
The upward trend in income
whichhas characterized the
American economy in the past
few years is continuing, reports
the University's Survey Research
Center.
About 63 per cent of the ap-
proximately 60 million family
units in the country report that
they are making more than four
years ago and 49 per cent that
they are making more th-an one
year ago. At the same time, two
out of five family units expect
to make more a year from now
and fully half expectnto make
more four years from now.
The figures are reported in the
"1967 Survey of Consumer 'Fi-
nances," a 362-page book publish-
ed by the Institute for Social
Research.
Of particular interest is the
large proportion of families which
both experienced and expected
rising income, according to the
SRC report by economists George
Katona, James N. Morgan, Jay
Schmiedeskamp, and John A.
Sonquist. Those who are making;
more than they did four years,
ago and also expect to make more
four years from now compose 40
per, cent of all families.

Sirn
Is'Interviewing on Campus
UCST3WE NEED SALESMEN
The Michigan Daily is one of the few financia ly independent college
newspapers in the nation. We have achieved this status by selling
thousands of dollars worth of advertising annually, but we are not
satisfied.
The growth of the city of Ann Arbor offers us an unlimited potential
for our own growth. We are ready to meet this challenge,

liiit -9- -

/I

Among upper income families-
those who make over $10,000 a
year before taxes-this proportion
is as high as 54 per cent, and
among younger families--those
with the head under 45 years of
age=A-even 60 per cent. Past as,
well as expected income increases
are most frequent among families
headed by younger, well-educated
persons.
An analysis of change in the
distribution of income, financial
assets, as well as major expendi-
tures over the last few years in-
dicates some progress inythe war
against poverty.
--- -
ENTS

STUD

Starting this September the Daily will

have ?a

I i m ited number 'of

CUSTOM SANDALS
Individually Fitted and Designed
213 EWStyleshnlgn$15.00 6 9
~ i 218 E. W ashington 663-9400 +.c ) Ct t .C) " !) ("' ) o _ : ~ ) (

openings for people who, can sel I advertising. Fay ir iI be on a com-
mission basis!
420 MAYNARD ST.

«I

I -

SPECIAL RATES FOR WEEKENDS

I I

438 W. Huron

663-2033

!

Enjoy Yourself

- Join The Daily Staff Today?

i

-jl

a

t

;

Since 1883

Since 1883

It's

WA

1

University Bookstore for the

,

Best in Books and Supplies-servingMichigan Students Sne 1
Thousands of Michigan Men and Women have found our dependable and courteous service corn-

l

bined with the friendly atmosphere of
ply needs.

a

"r e al

bookstore" the answer to their book and sup=

*

ew

and

Used

TEXTBOOKS and

SUPPLIES

I

FOR ALL UNIVERSITY COURSES
UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE

$#

ii

,

Back to Top

© 2024 Regents of the University of Michigan