Monday, April 26, 2010

After Reading Chapters 7-9......


1.) Describe the composition and functions of blood. Why is monitoring blood and blood pressure so crucial to maintaining a patients course of treatment?

2.) What type of information is gained from an autopsy? An autopsy involved cutting open the patient and removing and studying several organs. Would you give permission to have a deceased family member autopsied by the medical staff? Why? Why not?

32 comments:

  1. 1. Blood is a mixture composed of plasma, a liquid that forms the "basis" of its composition, and various blood cells. The plasma carries food particles and hormones, and is essential for moving these materials to the cells that need them. Red blood cells, which are flexible and have no nucleus or oganelles, carry oxygen, while white blood cells serve as part of the body's defense against pathogens.

    Monitering a patient's blood is essential because a lack of it can be fatal. If a person loses large amounts of blood, their organs, and especially their brain, can fail. In particular, a lack of blood in the head can lead to fainting and wild behavior, and can cause other organs to shut down. Essentially, a person must have enough blood for all their cells to function properly, and must maintain a stable blood pressure to avoid internal bleeding and dangers assoicated with low blood flow.

    2. An autopsy allows a doctor to see how a patient died, and in cases of disease how far it had spread and what it had done to the organs. The doctor thus learns how to control disease in living patients.
    Unless I didn't know why they had died and wanted to find out, I think I would just prefer to have them cremated. If they had agreed to donate their body to science, of course, I wouldn't be involved.

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  2. 1) The two main components of blood (a connective tissue)are plasma (about 55% of total volume) and "formed elements"(about 45% of total volume). Blood plasma is a mixture of proteins, enzymes, nutrients, wastes, hormones, and gases (each serve many different functions). Formed elements are enclosed in a plasma membrane and made of blood cells and platelets. Examples of formed elements are RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. (99% of formed elements are RBCs, while the other 1% are WBCs and platelets.)

    The three main functions of blood are transport, protection and regulation. Blood transports oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and the rest of the body (through the circulatory system). (Blood also transports, nutrients, waste products, hormones, and heat.) Blood protects the body by having several roles in inflammation (white blood cells; antibodies; platelet factors). Blood helps to regulate pH and water balance.

    The two types of blood pressure are systolic and diastolic. Systolic blood pressure is the maximum pressure of the blood due to the beating heart, while diastolic is the pressure when the heart is "resting". Monitoring blood and blood pressure is crucial to maintaining a patient's course of treatment because abnormal blood pressure may lead to major health problems such as kidney failure, damage/thickening/stiffening of the lining of artery walls (arteriosclerosis, which attracts cholesterol), fluid build up in the lungs, heart attacks, brain damage, impaired vision, blood clotting, hemorrhagic stroke, and an increased risk of heart disease.

    Additional Sources:
    http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/anatomy.asp?sid=30&page=2
    http://www.myuniversalfacts.com/2006/01/purpose-of-blood-its-functions-and.html
    http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/undergrad/projects/2003/group_03/why.html

    2) An autopsy (AKA post-mortem examination) is a source of valuable information about the cause and manner of death. They can be used to identify medical/diagnostic error and lead to continuous improvement. I think that only if there is a question to how a deceased family member died or some public health concern, would I give permission for an autopsy. I would give permission because I think it is an important learning tool for doctors and, to my knowledge, the body can still be viewed and put to rest by the family after the procedure.


    Additional Sources:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopsy#In_medicine

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  3. 1. Blood is composed of a fluid called plasma, a solution that is 90% water with three other substances dissolved in it. Plasma contains metabolites and wastes such as glucose, vitamins and hormones, salts and ions (plasma is actually very similar to seawater), and proteins which are very important is insuring that blood flowing through the body is not lost to cells through osmosis. There are three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells carry hemoglobin and oxygen to the body, white blood cells defend the body against invading microorganisms and platelets help blood to clot.

    Monitoring blood levels and pressure are crucial during treatment of a patient, because loss of blood or abnormal blood pressure can lead to many serious health issues such as heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, kidney damage and brain damage.

    2. Autopsies are very important because they give doctors the chance to ensure that their diagnosis of the disease was correct, and that there are no other complicating issues that may have contributed to the death. It also gives doctors the chance to observe and study the disease from the end result, and maybe can provide valuable information that can help future patients. Although it is critical to the future and improvement of medicine, I would not give permission for an autopsy unless my relative had died from a rare or perplexing disease. But if this relative had died naturally, I think the disfigurement of the corpse would persuade me to leave the corpse untouched.

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  4. 1.) Blood is the protein-rich liquid tissue that conducts gases, nutrients, hormones, antibodies and wastes through the body; it is essential to all life functions. Blood is 55% plasma and 45% red and white blood cells. Plasma is a solution of dissolved metabolites, wastes, salts, ions and proteins, but is 90% water. Red blood cells are filled with hemoglobin, which enables them to carry oxygen in the bloodstream. White blood cells comprise our immune system's second line of defense, eliminating pathogens that enter the body. In addition to transporting nutrients, oxygen and wastes; and protecting the body through clotting and immune mechanisms, blood also helps regulate body temperature.

    The centrality of blood to human life means that its levels, and the amounts of substances within it, have to be very closely monitored. A lack of blood can cause a patient to go into shock, like the woman who appeared to be psychotic but actually had a ruptured ectopic. There needs to be a sufficient amount of red blood cells to transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells; without oxygen, cells can't complete cell respiration and thus fail to provide energy to the body. A certain pressure is necessary to keep blood flowing properly and reaching all necessary destinations, but a blood pressure that is too high can damage organs. During surgery the body is being invaded and dangerous things are being done; the blood needs to be constant to help keep the body stable.

    2.) The main purpose of an autopsy is to figure out why a patient died and get a better understanding of their physical history. The result of an autopsy can be very helpful in understanding diseases. Though I don't like the idea of a family member being dissected I would give permission for a deceased relative to be autopsied. First, it would clear up some ambiguities about how they died. Second, autopsies are important for the progress of medical science and understanding. It's an opportunity for that family member to contribute more to society. So yes I would give permission, but hopefully a family member would already have done so in their will.

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  5. 1. Blood is made up of plasma, blood cells, and platelets. Blood has several functions in the human body, a few key ones are: to carry food to cells, to carry waste away from cells and to clot to prevent bleeding out from minor injuries. Red blood cells are important for carrying oxygen and white blood cells are key for fighting disease. It is crucial to monitor a patient’s blood and blood pressure because a loss of large amounts of blood can lead to organ failure and even death.

    2. Autopsies are very important for several reasons. They give doctors an opportunity to not only confirm the cause of death of a person but also to see if the diagnosis for the disease was correct (which is useful for preventing errors in the future). They also give doctors the chance to study the disease and how far it spread, where it spread to etc. And this information is very useful for treating patients in the future. Unless a relative of mine died of a rare disease (and thus an autopsy would be beneficial for research purposes) or the cause of death was unclear I don’t think I would give permission for an autopsy because it would just seem unnecessary.

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  6. 1) 45% of blood is blood cells. White blood cells, which are made in bone marrow, serve as the second defense of the body’s immune system. Red blood cells carry oxygen through the blood stream. The other 55% of blood is plasma. Plasma is mostly water, but also contains hormones, waste, nutrients and ions.
    Regulating blood is a critical part of a human’s life. If blood pressure is too high, it can damage organs. If it is too low, it may not flow to all the organs. If there is not enough blood, a patient can go in shock, and even die. Red blood cells are crucial to transporting oxygen; white blood cells are key to the immune system.
    2) An autopsy is used to figure out the causes of death of an individual. To advance medical research, I would allow an autopsy to be performed on a dead family member. Doing so may allow doctors to more accurately understand the situation that caused my family member’s death and hopefully find solutions to prevent further deaths of other patients due to similar circumstances.

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  7. 1) The average adult has about 5 liters of blood. Roughly 54.3% of blood is composed of plasma, the liquid component, which is 92% water and 8% special blood plasma proteins. The plasma’s jobs include circulation of nutrients such as sugar and amino acids, removal of waste such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid, and blood clotting. 45% of the blood is red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen to every cell in the body, and 0.7% is white blood cells, which are a core part of the body’s immune system. Monitoring blood and controlling its loss during surgery is important because every living cell in the body needs oxygen to function. If a patient loses too much blood their organs including the brain will rapidly fail, quickly leading to irreversible damage or death. On a day-to-day basis, monitoring blood pressure is important too. Around 1 in 5 Americans suffer from high blood pressure, which damages the arterial walls, leading to increased cholesterol buildup in the arteries, narrowing them and reducing blood flow (which in turn can lead to pain, clotting, strokes, heart attacks, and other fun stuff).
    2) Autopsies allow doctors to confirm or discover the subject’s cause of death. It is far easier to diagnose a dead patient than a live one, since a much broader range of very invasive (organ-removingly so) tests is possible. This extra information can be useful for identifying an undiagnosed issue for knowledge’s sake, for genetic testing in case of hereditary disease, for evidence in criminal cases, and for closure in House, M.D. when it’s “one of those sad episodes.” I would allow the doctor to autopsy a deceased relative; I would want to know why they died. Open casket funerals are tacky anyway.

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  8. 1. Blood is made up of two main components: plasma (approximately 55% of the blood) and cells such as red blood cells and white blood cells (approximately 45% of blood). It is crucial to monitor blood and blood pressure because problems with blood levels/pressure or bleeding out can cause cardiac problems, organ damage, a crazy state that slightly ressembles drunkenness, and ultimately death. Thus, monitoring blood is extremely important in order to assure overall good health.
    2. Although autopsies can take a long time and be fairly messy, they are very informative in teaching doctors about the cause of death or the course a disease took. Autopsies can provide important information to families regarding the nature of a disease, such as whether it is genetic or not. Many deceased get autopsies in order to discover cause of death. I think that if a family member died I would only allow an autopsy to be done if I was really curious as to how the person died and/or if I felt that important information could be gained from doing an autopsy in terms of whether other family members are at risk for the disease that caused death and whether there are any possible treatments. If there didn't seem like there would be any benefit for the rest of the family members in doing an autopsy, I wouldn't want one to be done because I feel that it is very disruptive to the person, and even though they're dead, I still feel like their bodies should remain intact and not be hacked apart unless necessary.

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  9. 1. Blood is comprised of plasma (which is mostly water) and blood cells (both red and white). Blood is critical in the transport of food and waste to and from cells and vital to the functioning of major organs. Different blood cells also serve specific purposes. Red blood cells utilize hemoglobin in oxygen transport, which is one of the most important functions of blood. Without consistent flow of oxygen, cell respiration can't occur and thus doesn't provide the body with the same amount of energy. White blood cells are the second line of defense in fighting disease. Constant blood pressure is critical regular bodily function as well as in surgery.

    2. Autopsies are very important for doctors because, as Nolen noted, medicine is still an "imperfect science." Sometimes patients are lost for reasons unclear to the surgeons and doctors, and autopsies are the only way to determine true cause of death. They allow doctors to study diseased organs and effects of illnesses at length. It is important that doctors and surgeons attain a better understanding of diseases so as to treat them more effectively in the future. I would give permission for an autopsy on a family member for this reason.

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  10. 1.) Describe the composition and functions of blood. Why is monitoring blood and blood pressure so crucial to maintaining a patients course of treatment?

    Blood fluid is a mixture of blood cells in a blood plasma fluid. Plasma, which is mostly made up of water, contains glucose, carbon dioxide, platelets, platelets, and dissolved mineral ions. This fluid carries red blood cells and white blood cells. The structure of the red blood cell is very simple and does not have many organelles with the exception of hemoglobin, which facilitates the transportation of oxygen. White blood cells, on the other hand, function as part of the body's immune system's line of defenses. Platelets allow blood to clot, which prevents excessive bleeding from an injury.

    Because blood plays such a central role in maintaining homeostasis in the body, a lack of blood can have particularly damaging effects. The anecdote in the chapter about the woman who had suffered an ectopic pregnancy and was going into shock is a prime example of some of the effects that may occur from lack of blood. In this case, blood from one of the woman's arteries was rushing to her fallopian tube, preventing enough blood from pumping through her brain. Also, blood is necessary in order to ensure that oxygen is circulated through the body.


    2.) What type of information is gained from an autopsy? An autopsy involved cutting open the patient and removing and studying several organs. Would you give permission to have a deceased family member autopsied by the medical staff? Why? Why not?

    Autopsies are helpful because they allow doctors to see the results of an illness and perhaps enable them to gain insight on future cases because of their findings. The information gained from autopsies can hopefully be used to improve patient care later on. I would definitely give permission for any of my family members to have an autopsy. Although it might be grotesque to think about the body being cut up and observed by outsiders, I would trust the doctors to treat the body with respect and look at it from a purely educational point of view.

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  11. 1) Blood is made of white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and plasma along with nutrients, hormones, and waste products. White blood cells are responsible for fighting infections. Red blood cells, which make up 40-45% of blood, carry oxygen throughout the body from the lungs. Platelets help blood clot. Plasma, a straw colored liquid, is what all of these various cells, nutrients, and hormones float in. It is important to monitor blood and blood pressure to maintain a patient's course of treatment because organ failure or death could occur.

    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/redgold/basics/whatisblood.html

    2) Autopsies are used to find the cause of death of the patient and to see if the doctor's diagnosis was correct. It is very possible for a dead patient to be diagnosed as having one cause of death when it was something else or multiple other things. This will help doctors expand their knowledge of whatever the cause of death was and understand it more fully. I would definitely allow doctors to autopsy my dead family member. The findings would contribute somehow/possibly to the future of medicine and understanding of some disease or incident.

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  12. Blood is made up of mostly blood cells and plasma. Plasma is made up mostly of water, and the blood cells include red and white blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen whereas white blood cells play a key role in the immune system. It is important to monitor blood pressure because loss of blood or blood flowing into internal organs cause cause shock, permanent organ damage, and eventually death. If the blood pressure is not monitored then doctors could accidentally admit a patient for surgery without knowing the patient does not have enough blood to undergo a difficult procedure. If a patient does not have enough blood at the start of the surgery, the loss of blood during the surgery could be fatal.
    An autopsy is a method of figuring out how a patient died. Autopsies are very important for the family of the patient as well as the doctors. It is often important to figure out the cause of death simply for curiosity or if crime is involved though also it is important from the scientific perspective. Doctors can learn where they went wrong in the patient's treatment or simply learn more about medicine and figure out how they can treat the patient differently in the future. I would most likely allow doctors to perform an autopsy on a family member.. it depends on the exact circumstance but in general I think it is a good practice because it helps advance research and figure out difficult medical dilemmas.

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  13. 1.Blood is composed of blood cells and blood plasma. Blood Plasma is composed mostly of water, with various other molecules (proteins, oxygen, glucose, minerals, etc.) suspended within it. The blood cells themselves are either red blood cells, which have no nuclei and are made of oxygen carrying hemoglobin, or the much less numerous white blood cells, which fight pathogens. Blood is circulated through the body in veins- which act like canals, linking various organs to the heart.
    Obviously, blood is vital to the survival of an animal- all cells need oxygen to survive, and even a mild decrease in oxygen distribution can have life-endangering consequences. Should a person suffer a drastic injury- the rupturing of an organ, or the severing of an artery- it is vital that a doctor staunch the flow of blood as soon as possible. Once a patient begins losing blood, their blood pressure will decrease; as they lose blood, it will become harder for the heart to pump blood to the extremities. Without a steady blood flow, the patient will wither away.

    2.An autopsy is the opening of a cadaver for study. It is usually done in order to ascertain the cause of a death- organs can be studied for abnormalities or signs of damage. Autopsies are not uncommon, although many cultures still find them repulsive. Obviously, no one likes the idea that a stranger is now poking and prodding at Uncle Bob’s lifeless form. However, much of the knowledge of human anatomy gleaned over the past 500 years has been discovered through autopsies. Without autopsies, the identification of new diseases would be much more difficult, and the study of as-yet unknown body functions would become nearly impossible. If a deceased family member had given permission for an autopsy- and if it was okay with the rest of my family- I would allow an autopsy. Dead people have no use for their organs, unless they are zombies. And we most certainly should not be helping zombies in any way. The body could be buried or cremated as usual afterwards- with the knowledge that even after death, the family member helped to save lives and increase the knowledge of humanity.

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  14. Blood is crucial to the body as it transports nutrients, hormones and most importantly: oxygen. It also carries away waste and other hazardous byproducts. In blood, there are three major cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The red transport oxygen, the white fight infections and foreign invaders, while the platelets are crucial in clotting blood and sealing off breaches in the skin.

    Monitoring blood is crucial to caring for a patient as abnormalities in blood pressure or supply can be fatal. Incredibly high blood pressures can lead to medical problems as can lack of blood. In chapter 8, Nolen describes the case of one patient who appeared to be insane. He wrote this off as a mental break down, but it turned out her blood pressure was abnormal. Blood was pooling in her stomach and not enough was flowing to her brain. This caused the erratic behavior. Problems like this can occur if blood is not monitored and not kept under control

    Autopsies can be very helpful for doctors. It can tell doctors how a patient died and can show the doctor how to react differently if the same problems arise. Because the doctor can use more invasive methods to dissect how the patient died (no pun intended), the doctor may be able to make a more accurate diagnosis and learn in the future. Also, autopsies can show doctors how diseases affect the body on more than the surface level. Because of this, I would allow my deceased family member to undergo an autopsy, under certain conditions. I think medical advancement is a worthy cause, but to randomly give up a dead family member seems unnecessary. If a doctor requests a deceased family member for an autopsy and the family member did not specify otherwise, then I would probably allow them to undergo the procedure.

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  15. 1. Blood is composed of two main parts: the plasma and the cells, both of which function by carrying essential nutrients to every cell in the body and taking away waste. The cells float in the plasma which is the liquid part of blood. Plasma is responsible for carrying certain necessary items, including electrolytes, vitamins, nutrients, hormones, proteins, and antibodies vital to the immune system, to the different parts of the human body. The cellular part of blood is composed of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells are responsible for providing every cell with oxygen. which is crucial to cellular respiration. Platelets are the factors responsible for the body's clotting response. White blood cells fight off infection in the body and thus white blood cell counts are crucial to the assessment of a patient's health, as a high count may indicate an infection. Monitoring blood pressure is important, as with the case of the "delirious" woman who was actually suffering from a loss of blood and without enough blood, not enough oxygen is available for cells to use. On the other hand, high blood pressure may indicate a kidney disease and may lead to cardiovascular failure.

    2. Autopsies may either show the cause of death if it was unknown while the patient was alive or allow the surgeon to gain knowledge about a rare disease. The autopsy may provide valuable insight about a new development or may allow surgeons to examine where they erred in the patient's care in the hopes of causing the surgeon to adapt his or her methods in the future. In forensic sciences, autopsies often may provide information about a crime. I believe that the decision to autopsy a family member is really his or her opinion. I would allow a coroner to autopsy a body unless the family member expressly demands not to prior to his or her death. I would hope though that the person performing the autopsy does it with a somewhat respectful attitude and in a spirit of learning.

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  16. 1. Blood is composed of plasma and blood cells. Plasma is a water based liquid that contains proteins, salts, and ions, among other materials. Its function is largely transportation: it carries these items through the body to the places where they are most needed. Red blood cells carry oxygen and hemoglobin, thus contributing to cellular respiration. White blood cells battle invading pathogens, and help to keep the body free from disease. Platelets enable blood clotting, which prevents an injured person from bleeding to death. Red blood cells outnumber white blood cells and platelets by a margin of 99 to 1.
    All of blood's different components are extremely important in their own ways, so it is vital that people have adequate amounts of all them in their bodies. Blood must be healthy and well-balanced in order for a person to maintain homeostasis.

    2. An autopsy is a procedure which enables a doctor to find the cause of death of his patient. Performing autopsies and studying the various organs of a deceased body can improve the knowledge of the field of medicine. I think I would give permission to have a family member autopsied, but only if this family member had died from a relatively rare disease, and whose body was thus valuable from a medical standpoint--perhaps by enhancing their knowledge of this disease, doctors would be able to better treat it in the future.

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  17. 1.) Describe the composition and functions of blood. Why is monitoring blood and blood pressure so crucial to maintaining a patients course of treatment?

    Blood is a liquid composed mostly of plasma, which is mostly water with a few other molecules such as oxygen and glucose. There are three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout all places of the body along with other molecules such as sugar and white blood cells are needed to fight off invading germs. Platelets cause the blood to clot, which is important in stopping bleeding in a cut. Monitoring blood and blood pressure is so critical to maintaining a patient's course of treatment because a healthy level of blood is essential for a patient's survival. Patients need a large amount of white blood cells in order to fight off bacteria and multiple organs will not work if there are not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to the various organs in the body. The platelets are essential because without it, patients would bleed to death and it would be hard for the body to heal the cut.

    2.) What type of information is gained from an autopsy? An autopsy involved cutting open the patient and removing and studying several organs. Would you give permission to have a deceased family member autopsied by the medical staff? Why? Why not?

    An autopsy allows a doctor to figure out the reason a patient died and also allows a doctor to study the behavior of a disease, for example, how the disease spread and how it has affected the organs. The doctor can then use this knowledge to help control this disease in other patients. Also, by doing an autopsy on someone, the doctor can study the effectiveness of certain medical practices, figuring out whether or not a certain operation technique is effective and which techniques have hurt. By doing an autopsy and figuring this out, doctors can prevent more bad surgeries that will harm future parents. I would only give permission to have a deceased family member autopsied by a medical staff if my family member had such a rare or significant disease/death that doing an autopsy would really help save many lives. Otherwise, I would not like my family member to be autopsied. I would allow any sort of research no matter how my family died if the body can still be viewed. Ultimately, however, the decision to have a body autopsied is up to the possessor of the body.

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  18. 1) Blood is 90% water and 10% plasma. Plasma made up of three things: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. The white blood cells are the body's internal defense for fighting invading bacteria. The red blood cells transport oxygen throughout our body. The platelets are the mechanism behind blood clotting. Blood is an essential part of the circulatory system. The circulatory system is responsible for maintaining the body's homeostasis by regulating the body's nutrients and oxygen. The main function of blood is to transport nutrients and waste. For example, blood flows through the lungs and picks up oxygen there and then transports this oxygen to other cells. Blood pressure is crucial when it comes to surgery. When a patient's blood pressure gets too low the patient goes into shock. Their heart rate quickens, they become faint and since not enough blood is being pumped to their brain they become completely irrational. The patient mentioned on page 98 is an example of the complications that arise when a patient goes into shock: the patient becomes extremely difficult to manage.

    2. An autopsy can give surgeons very good insight into what went wrong during surgery or what the correct diagnosis of a patient's illness was. For example, Nolen learns that the medical department was right and his original diagnosis was wrong: his patient had an acute infarction. Also examining organs is a great way for doctor's to learn more about what to look for when operating on future patients. I would allow a family member to be autopsied because this would allow doctors to learn and become better doctors.

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  19. Blood is a bodily liquid composed mainly of plasma. Plasma is mostly water (~90%), and carries dissolved proteins, glucose, mineral ions, hormones, carbon dioxide, platelets and blood cells themselves. The main function of blood is to transport nutrients and oxygen to the body's cells and to transport waste away from said cells. Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels. When a person's blood pressure gets too low, he/she can go into shock. Low blood pressure causes an all-around slowing of the pumping of blood to the brain. Their heart rate quickens in response, trying to restore the body's pumping rate to normal. But with not enough blood going to the brain, patients can think completely irrationally and become very difficult to manage. Trying to deal with an irrational patient in a critical situation - during surgery, for example - could prove fatal to the patient.
    2. An autopsy could allow surgeons to see what the cause of death was - if the patient died during surgery, it could show the surgeon what went wrong. This information could prove very useful to the surgeons involved, showing them what they did right and what they did wrong. Or perhaps the infections/bacteria they should look for in future patients before going into a surgery. The matter of allowing a doctor to do an autopsy on a family member is a tricky one. The information could help them immensely in future patients, but it would also allow a probing and dismembering of a family member. I can't honestly say what I would do in that situation.

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  20. 1) Blood is made of water, plasma, and other cells. The plasma is composed of red blood cells, white blood, cells, and platelets. The red blood cells bring oxygen around the body, while white blood cells defend the body against pathogens. The platelets allow the blood to clot when it is needed. Plasma is significant because it transports vital things such as hormones around the body. Monitoring blood and blood pressure are so crucial to maintaining a patient's course of treatment. Having the right amount of blood that is pumping through the body at a steady pace is important to being healthy. The book provided examples of people who passed out because their blood circulation was not going well. Also, it talked about some men who had bad blood circulation in certain parts of their bodies which caused them to deal with many difficult problems.

    2) Lots of information can be gained from an autopsy. At hospitals, doctors teach one another about certain parts of the body by using the dead bodies or their organs. The bodies are also used by other people at hospitals who are studying to become doctors, and at medical schools where students are doing the same thing. No, I would not give permission to have a deceased family member autopsied by the medical staff. Every person in my family has mentioned that he or she would not be comfortable with the idea, so I will stand by their decisions.

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  21. 1. Blood transports gases, nutrients, hormones, antibodies, and wastes throughout the body. Plasma makes up 55% of blood. It is a protein rich fluid. Red and white blood cells make up the remaining percentage of blood. Red blood cells transport oxygen, they are full of hemoglobin that gives blood its red color.

    It is very important to monitor blood pressure because high blood pressure causes more stress which causes the heart walls to grow thicker and weaker overtime. Also high blood pressure, hypertension, is a risk factor in strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and other fatal diseases. Low blood pressure, hypotension, can cause dizziness, fainting or even shock.

    2. Autopsies are very important because they confirm the actual cause of death. Doctors can check to see if their diagnosis was correct and hopefully learn if they came to a wrong conclusion. It also shows the destruction course of the disease which allows doctors to learn more about the nature of certain diseases and the course that they usually take. I would only allow my relative to get an autopsy if there was any speculation surrounding his or her death, or if an autopsy would help doctors learn about diseases or correct diagnostic mistakes.

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  22. 1.) The composition of blood is fifty-five percent plasma and the other forty-five percent is made up of cells and platelets. Plasma is mostly water (ninety percent) but contains dissolved proteins, glucose, mineral ions, hormones, carbon dioxide, platelets, and blood cells. Blood delivers important substances to the body, like nutrients and oxygen. It also transports bad substances or waste away from those same cells.
    It is important to moniter blood and blood pressure because if a patient has high blood pressure, it could result in stress on the heart which could lead to heart problems and/or failure. Because blood pressure is literally the pressure of blood against arteries, if there is high blood pressure, there would be resulting stress in the arteries and heart, which could grow weak from all the work. However, low blood pressure is not good either. Low blood pressure can cause fainting and sometimes shock.
    2.) Autopsies are crutial in discovering how a patient died. Even if doctors believe that they correctly diagnosed his/her patient, they are still important to confirm or disprove the diagnosis. I think I would only give permission to have a deseased family member autopsied by the medical staff if the doctors were not certain of how the family member died. Or if the autopsy would help confirm the cause of death.

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  23. 1. Blood is made up of two components: plasma and certain blood cells. Plasma is a liquid made mostly of water but which also contains dissolved proteins, glucose, hormones, carbon dioxide, platelets, and minerals. Plasma is responsible for carrying food particles and hormones and transporting them to cells that need them. There are two main types of blood cells, red and white. Red blood cells do not contain nuclei or organelles and are responsible for transporting oxygen to other cells. White blood cells are an integral part of the immune system and the body's fight against pathogens.

    Monitoring blood pressure is very important because high/low blood pressure can cause a variety of serious symptoms. High blood pressure can result in stress on the heart, which can lead to heart failure/weakness. Low pressure can cause dizziness, fainting, and shock.

    2. Autopsies are important not only for discovering about the cause of death but also for furthering the practice of medicine. It is only from mistakes that we can learn, so if autopsies are performed on undiagnosed patients, it can help doctors to get it right the next time. I would probably only consent to have a family member autopsied if they died from an undiagnosed/rare disease.

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  24. 1. Blood is made up of plasma and cells. The plasma itself is made up of mostly water (90%), but also proteins and ions. Plasma carries nutrients essential to the immune system to other parts of the body. Plasma makes up about 55% of blood, while the other 45% is made up of the blood cells. The cells are red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen, and play a part in cellular respiration. White blood cells are involved in fighting off pathogens and infections; white blood cells are key to health. Platelets enable blood clotting, preventing someone from bleeding to death. There are way more RBC than WBC and platelets.

    2. The information gained from an autopsy is the definite cause of death, and by having a definite cause of death, doctors can check whether or not their diagnosis was correct, and if it wasn't correct, how they could prevent it from happening again. Autopsies are incredibly important to better the doctor's knowledge and future diagnoses. Honestly, I would only allow a family member to be given an autopsy if the cause of death is very sketchy and unclear; in that case, I think it'd be important to try to figure out what happened. But if my family member died of pretty natural or self-evident causes, then no, I don't think I'd want an autopsy because it'd be unnecessary.

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  25. 1.)
    Blood is a body fluid that transports necessary substance to cells throughout the body, such as nutrients or oxygen, and carries waste products away from the cells. It is composed of blood cells suspended in a plasma liquid. Plasma is mostly water (90%) and contains several proteins, glucose, mineral ions, hormones, carbon dioxide, and others. The blood cells in blood are the red blood cells, the most abundant, and white blood cells.
    It I crucial to monitor a patients blood and blood pressure because any great changed from normal conditions can cause much harm. For instance, if a patient’s BP is too high, the heart will become stressed and weaken over time; persistently high BP can cause strokes, heart attacks, and heart failures. If a patients BP is too low, a patient may be lightheaded, dizzy, or may faint because of a lack of blood in the brain, for example.


    2.)
    Autopsies give information on a number of things. First is simply how the patient died, if it was not already known. Second, autopsies allow doctors to examine and study certain effects and outcomes of disease and other problems. Third, autopsies allow for doctors to evaluate their mistakes in treating the patient if the patient did indeed die by a doctor’s mistake. From a doctor’s point of view, the hope with autopsies is that something of value will be learned that will help with treating future patients.
    Unless my deceased family member specifically mentioned before his/her death that he/she would not like to be autopsied, then I would be fine with the procedure. It could be helpful to me to learn exactly the cause of the death, and hopefully it would be helpful to other patients later too.

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  26. Blood is primarily made of plasma and cells. Plasma is a fluid that is almost all water, about 90% the other 10% consists of particular ions and proteins. The cells of blood are the red,white, and platelet cells of the body. The cells account for 45% of bloods mass while plasma is the other 55%.Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen through the body. Red blood cells are able to perform such a task because of the chemical hemoglobin that is abundant within red blood cells. White blood cells serve as the bodies immune system, giving the body the ability to fight off disease and infection. Platelets are important in stopping blood from continuously flowing out of a wound to slow bleeding to death. Platelets are largely responsible in sealing wounds such as scabs etc. Blood pressure is important to monitor because in cases of people with high blood pressure a patient can experience many effects such as kidney failure because blood is so important and vital to many functions.

    Autopsies are the most effective way in determining what was a cause of death for an individual. Through autopsy doctors can learn monumental amount of information for future reference in observing patients descriptions and symptoms with the cause of death in further understanding a condition or disease. It also allows doctors to look at the case at hand and determine if any mistakes were made during treatment to improve their knowledge of diseases and treatment of them because real world application is sometimes different than what old text books say because viruses and bacteria are evolving so rapidly. Personally i would only allow an autopsy if necessary. In all cases an autopsy is not necessary but if the nature of my family members death was unclear then one could be of use. Quite frankly for the most part i would be willing to allow the medical staff to do whatever they pleased and would be more than happy to donate organs.

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  27. 1) Blood is a mixture composed of plasma, a liquid that forms the "basis" of its composition, and various blood cells. Plasma contains around 55% of the total volume within the body, while other elements take up about 45% of the total volume. This mysterious plasma is formed from a mixture of proteins, enzymes, nutrients, wastes, hormones, and gases. The three main functions of Blood are to transport, protect and regulate within the body. Red blood cells carry hemoglobin and oxygen to parts of the body, while white blood cells defend against unwanted organisms within the body. Monitoring the blood levels and blood pressure can be crucial during treatment of patients and throughout the existence of an organism for that matter. Knowing the pressure and level of ones blood can help determine if the patient is getting the necessary amount of blood to all regions of the body, something the body can’t live without.

    2) An autopsy is a procedure used to figure out why a patient has passed away. Included in this process is the dissecting of the cadaver is the removal of several vital organs. Through analysis of these, doctors can pinpoint what occurred within the body to lead to the patient’s death. The cause for most autopsy’s is generally a curious person along the way wants to know about a certain peculiar death of someone, or if the body is simply unwanted by a family, doctors may practice on specimens of that variety. As for me the only time I would be curious is if the death of the person was indeed very strange or out of the ordinary.

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  28. ⓵ Blood is a very important bodily fluid. In vertebrates, blood is composed of plasma, which acts as a transportation mechanism for nutrients such as proteins, hormones and glucose, and which carries blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body so that all the other cells have a constant supply with which to do cellular respiration. White blood cells, on the other hand are members of the immune system. They help to rid the body of diseases. Measuring blood pressure is very important. If a person's blood pressure is too high, the lining of their arteries may become damaged and swollen. This will overtax the heart in the long run by forcing it to pump blood through narrower passageways. Additionally, low blood pressure is especially dangerous because, as we saw in MOS, a person with low blood pressure is not getting enough oxygen to their cells. This is especially problematic in vital cells such as those in the brain!

    ⓶ An autopsy (or a post-mortem examination), which is usually preformed by a pathologist is used to determine the probable cause of a person's death. If a patient died while in the hospital, an autopsy can be very important in the determination of what went wrong in the course of treatment. This way mistakes will not be repeated as often. Also, autopsies can be useful for understanding how much certain treatments helped or hurt the patient. In general, the number of autopsied patients is declining in the US (since the 1950s), and that may be having a negative impact on the reliability of medical practice. I would allow a loved one to have an autopsy, since this would be a good deed, possibly for all of humanity!

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  29. 1.) Describe the composition and functions of blood. Why is monitoring blood and blood pressure so crucial to maintaining a patients course of treatment?

    Blood mainly consists of plasma and blood cells. Plasma is a fluid composed primarily of water (~90%), but also contains other materials such as proteins, glucose, oxygen etc. This plasma substance serves to transport hormones and food particles to other cells within the body that need them. Red and white blood cells are also present in blood; red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen and hemoglobin through the body, while white blood cells act in the immune system to protect the body from any harmful invaders. Monitoring blood and blood pressure is crucial for a patient because blood plays a vital role in all bodily functions. A patient admitted to the hospital is bound to be in a very vulnerable physiological condition, thus making the maintenance of blood pressure absolutely crucial to his/her survival.
    A high blood pressure can result in heart failure, while a low blood pressure will not provide enough oxygen to cells within the body.

    2.) What type of information is gained from an autopsy? An autopsy involved cutting open the patient and removing and studying several organs. Would you give permission to have a deceased family member autopsied by the medical staff? Why? Why not?

    An autopsy is utilized by doctors to determine or to confirm the cause of death. This process may be used to actually discover the cause of a death, but it may also be used to further the field of medicine by allowing doctors to study the internal effects of a certain disease. I would most likely not allow for an autopsy of a deceased family member if the cause of death was pretty clear. However, if my relative had passed away due to an unlikely cause, I would give permission for an autopsy to be performed.

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  30. Plasma makes up about 55% of blood, and the other 45% is composed of blood cells that have individual functions. Plasma, which is 90% water, has concentrations of dissolved ions, proteins, hormones, and nutrients that are needed in all parts of the body. White blood cells are a crucial part of the immune system, and red blood cells are vital in transporting oxygen to cells for respiration. There are far more RBC than WBC (a bit under a 50:1 ratio.)Because blood is vital in supplying all living cells with oxygen and other nutrients, it is vital it be monitored during an operation or when a patient is in crucial condition. Oftentimes a wounded patient will already have a considerable amount of blood at the injury site and possibly be losing blood due to internal or external injuries. This means the body has less blood and more work to do, which means that the amount of blood in the body should be monitored, and CBCs taken often to ensure the blood is of sufficient quality. Blood pressure should be monitored to ensure the pressure on vessels is healthy and heart activity is normal.

    2. The information from an autopsy is simple, yet involves numerous complex processes. An autopsy is a thorough examination of a corpse in order to determine cause of death, as well as the effects treatment might have had. I would allow the coroner to perform an autopsy if there seemed to be anomalies in the patient's symptoms, because it could lead to the discovery of treatment side-effects. This information would be useful in developing medicine and progressing biomedical science, possibly saving more lives.

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  31. 1. Blood is made up of both plasma and blood cells. Plasma is about 90% water, and contains ions, protein, hormones, and nutrients. There are several different kinds of blood cells: red blood cells and white blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for oxygen transportation. The more red blood cells one has, the more oxygen can move through their body. (This is why more red blood cells are produced at high altitudes.) White blood cells are important in the immune system, and they are far less abundant than red blood cells.
    It's important to monitor a patient's blood levels and pressure, especially when said patient is in a critical condition, because blood loss is often the first worry of a team of doctors. Blood is crucial to the body's healing process, and the less blood a patient has, the worse they will get. Therefore, it's important to monitor blood levels and pressure, to know how much blood a patient has, and to ensure that their blood is being pumped through the body correctly, respectively.

    2. An autopsy is used to determine the cause of death. It can also be used for medical research, providing the family permits it. Personally, I don't think I'd stop a doctor from performing an autopsy if they asked. I don't think I'd request one (unless i had serious doubts that the care given to my family member was as good as possible). Sometimes autopsies can reveal genetic disorders, and that could potentially save other family members' lives.

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  32. 45% of blood is made up of blood cells, white blood cells, after being made in bone marrow serve as the second defense, whereas red blood cells carry oxygen through the blood stream. The other 55% of blood is plasma, an approximately 90% water fluid containing metabolites, glucose, vitamins and hormones, salts and ions and proteins. The proteins guarantee that circulating blood is not wasted through osmosis. Plasma also transfers food and hormones and transports them to waiting cells. There are three variations of blood cells in plasma: red and white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells are the most basic; they contain no nucleus or inner working and exist only to carry hemoglobin and oxygen throughout the body. In contrast, white blood cells defend the body against invading microorganisms and pathogens and contain platelets that help blood to clot.
    There are several basic functions of blood that all use circulation to accomplish their needs. Blood transfers primarily oxygen and carbon dioxide as well as other molecules and particles throughout the body from the lungs. This system, called the circulatory system was discussed earlier. Blood is an important part of the lines of defense for the body as well, carrying white blood cells, platelets, and antibodies, all which travel through the bloodstream. And lastly, blood regulates pH and water balance through your body.

    An autopsy is the act of reopening a dead body or cadaver to discover the cause of death, more often though, it is a source of practice, and yields valuable information. After death, you can look for oddities or damage and determine its source, whether it’s disease or age. Autopsies are important in other ways as well, if the person died from a genetic disease, you can check the blood-related family members and quite possibly save their lives. I don’t think autopsies are particularly respectful yet I think they offer so much potential information about organs and diseases that I think I would feel obligated to have one. I would want to know how my relative died if it were a mystery, I think it would make it easier to come to terms with his or her death.

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