Technology is a Life Saver!

We often talk about the time we spend texting, talking on the phone, watching television, surfing popular social networking sites, and playing video games.  We reflect on how they have impacted our lives.  Sometimes we forget the amazing technological inventions that make our cellphones and computers seem insignificant.  Outstanding advancements have been made that not only increase our understanding of how the body works, but are - in some cases - capable of saving people's lives.

A modern stethoschope (top) and
sphymomanometer (bottom).

Inventions that most people are familiar with are the stethoscope and the sphygmomanometer.  Invented in 1816, the stethoscope is used to listen to a patient's heart, chest cavity, and pulse points.  Doctors/nurses commonly listen for irregular heartbeats, congestion in the lungs, and restored blood flow during blood pressure checks. It is also considered the most informative, reliable tool used in diagnosing cardiovascular disease.  The sphygmomanometer is used to measure blood pressure - the modern version comprised of a band that wraps around the upper arm, pump, and component that displays the reading.  Blood pressure can be monitored over time by physicians with this.  The ability to do so brought hypertension (chronic high blood pressure - a life-threatening condition) to the attention of physicians.  The stethoscope and sphygmomanometer are very important contributions in understanding the circulatory and respiratory systems.


Endoscopy is a procedure in which the inside of a person's body is examined using an endoscope.  Consisting of a long, thin tube, with a light and video camera attached, an endoscope allows the images of the inside of the patient's body to be seen on a screen.  Doctors can watch the recording of this to look at the interior surfaces of the patient's tissues/organs.  Breathing disorders, chronic diarrhea, internal bleeding, stomach ulcers, and urinary tract infections are most commonly diagnosed or investigated with the use of an endoscope.  Endoscopes may also retrieve foreign objects or enable biopsies.

Sir Doctor Frederick Banting

Insulin is injected to control blood sugar in people with diabetes.  It works by assisting the movement of sugar from the blood into the body's tissues and stopping the production of sugar by the liver.  Before the discovery of insulin, lives of diabetics were quite grim.  There was no medication to regulate blood sugar levels.  Near-starvation diets of a few hundred calories a day were found to extend some diabetics' lives by a couple years.  These diets resulted in extremely malnourished and underweight patients.  It was a Canadian, Frederick Banting, and his assistant, Dr. Charles Best, who discovered insulin.  Banting even received the Nobel Prize in  Medicine in 1923.


I am extremely thankful for modern medicine and the advancements that continue to be made in the field.  I know that a greater understanding of the internal systems of the body may one day save my life and I think it is important for everyone to reflect on this.  It is also important to recognize that many of our loved ones may not be here without the current technology and knowledge the medical field is equipped with.


Sources:

• "Frederick G. Banting - Biography." Nobelprize.org. Web. 09 Apr. 2011.<http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1923/banting-bio.html>.
• "History of Stethoscopes and Sphygmomanometers." Howard Hughes Medical Institute | Biomedical Research & Science Education (HHMI). Web. 09 Apr. 2011. <http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/museum/exhibit98/content/b6_17info.html>.
• "Insulin Injection." National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. 01 Feb. 2009. Web. 09 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a682611.html>.
• Pollick, Michael. "What Is a Stethoscope?" WiseGEEK. Web. 09 Apr. 2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-stethoscope.htm>.
• "What Is Endoscopy? What Is An Endoscope?" Medical News Today. 12 June 2009. Web. 09 Apr. 2011. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153737.php>.
• Wickford, Hannah. "Diabetes Before Insulin Was Discovered." EHow. Web. 09 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/facts_5498585_diabetes-before-insulin-discovered.html>.

My comments can be found on these entries:

• http://graceelkhechen.blogspot.com/2011/02/proud-to-be-canadian.html?showComment=1304612846779#c1227991365935696560
• http://bioblogstuff.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-wonderful-life-thanks-to-technology.html?showComment=1304613254596#c3983764069762809184