What exactly do the pedes here think is he speaking about? And why does no one ask him any follow-up questions about these particular incredibly tantalizing and hopeful statements?
He mentioned this at the RNC and (from my memory) once during his first term. He casually spoke of cures for all diseases, and then moved right onto the next thing. Drives me nuts lol.
I think I believe “med beds” are probably a real thing (I definitely waffle on this though), and when he says things like that, it feels like confirmation that such far out and world-changing tech might actually be in our not too distant future! I desperately want this to be real for the sake of several of my loved ones, not to mention the entirety of humanity.
Are med beds really real?
Respiratory Therapy student here, I'm excited to answer your question! The basic answer is because people are dumb, and will hurt themselves if not sufficiently supervised.
The hazards and risks associated with oxygen therapy (listed in ROAD acronym order) are:
Retinopathy of Prematurity - overexposure to oxygen in premature infants can cause blood vessels in the eyes to become enlarged, affecting vision
Oxygen Toxicity - humans are finely tuned to our sea-level atmosphere, excess oxygen in the blood stream can lead to oxidative damage to cell membranes, ocular damage (see above, also retinal separation in adults), and seizures
Absorption Atelectasis - increased oxygen will cause a decrease in nitrogen content in the lungs. Nitrogen makes up most of the content of "air", and without the proper "pressure" of Nitrogen within the lungs, the alveoli (lung sacs) will collapse
Depression of Ventilation - this one is the craziest. For obstructive lung disorders (emphysema, COPD), the brain doesn't respond to elevated levels of CO2 in the blood as a trigger for breathing. Only a decrease in arterial oxygen will stimulate the respiratory drive. By over supplying oxygen to these patients, they can actually "suffocate" because their body doesn't recognize the need to breathe.
So, these are some of the reasons that oxygen is a controlled substance. Also it's highly flammable, and unfortunately most people aren't smart enough or diligent enough to keep themselves safe without some protections in place.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks a lot for that reply. It was very helpful. I was thinking about using it plugged into my CPAP machine when I sleep. I did that when I was in the hospital 3 years ago.
My pleasure! I've learned so much from others on this forum, feels good to be able to give back. My recommendation for getting nighttime supplemental oxygen is: tell your primary doctor that you aren't getting restful sleep and ask if you can have a Nocturnal Oximetry test done. You'll wear a little finger clip all night while using your CPAPn and if you drop below 88% oxygen blood saturation for a combined 5 min, you'll qualify. Hope it helps!
(Source - I also worked for a home oxygen company before starting RT school).
Cool, thanks!!!
It is also responsible for cell accelerated cell death during CPR.