Mechanical fix for fluid overload
During a heart failure crisis, filtering the blood works as well as drugs to remove excess fluid.
Heart failure sends more than one million Americans to the hospital each year, struggling to breathe through fluid-filled lungs. The traditional treatment for helping them get rid of their excess fluid is powerful intravenous drugs that rev up urine production. A machine that filters water and salt from the blood could offer a faster, and possibly safer, alternative.
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