Butt Breathing Tubes

Recent studies suggest that it may be possible to supply oxygen to patients via a "butt breathing tube" rather than by the traditional tube down the throat. This new technique is also known as "enteral ventilation via anus". Caleb Kelly, in the journal Med (Jun 11, 2021) notes:

Enteral ventilation via anus (EVA) is an enema-like procedure to deliver oxygen to the body through the distal gut. This is a provocative idea and those first encountering it will express astonishment.

The key to the technique is the use of an oxygen-saturated perfluorocarbon solution that can deliver enough oxygen to make it through the mucus membrane of the intestines and into the blood.

The technique has been demonstrated successfully on mice, rats, and pigs, but not yet on humans.

Josh Bloom, on the American Council of Science and Health site, observes:

If you don't like the idea of having a tube shoved up...there... it's a damn sight better than having one down your throat.

image source: The Scientist

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Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 04, 2021
Category: Science | Experiments

Comments

This substance is the same as in the famous old experiment with its vivid foto of a mouse suspended in a liquid-filled beaker (weight tied to its tail) yet still breathing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_breathing

Foto:
https://bit.ly/3n8fiFj

Posted by Paul on 09/04/21 at 07:20 AM

Just last week, I re-watched "The Abyss" (1989). I knew at one time they were experimenting with that system for deep diving. I just assumed it worked but wasn't economically viable or carried its own specialized risks which kept it out of widespread use. It made sense, to me, that it was shown in the movie as something used by a military team but wasn't available to civilian deep-sea divers.

I also heard there was a clinic in Switzerland where smokers could get their lungs washed out. Since I never saw any follow-ups, I assume that didn't work as planned.

Posted by Phideaux on 09/05/21 at 03:53 PM

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