New way of giving lifesaving drug in childbirth - podcast episode cover

New way of giving lifesaving drug in childbirth

Apr 12, 202329 min
--:--
--:--
Listen in podcast apps:
Metacast
Spotify
Youtube
RSS

Episode description

Researchers in Zambia and Pakistan have shown that a drug which helps to stop bleeding in childbirth is safe to give by injection into a muscle - making it easier to save women’s lives where skilled help isn’t always close by. Tranexamic acid is usually given by a drip into a vein. But a new study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine compared that method with giving an injection into the thigh and administering it as a drink in a solution. They found that the injection was just as effective as the drip – which doctors say will save time and lives.

We hear from one of the first people in the world to be given blood grown in a laboratory – and the scientist who made it possible. People with conditions like sickle cell anaemia could eventually benefit from this technology with lab blood tailored to their needs.

Overweight people with painful arthritic joints might be told it’s due to “wear and tear”. But Dr Graham Easton explains how a new study shows that changes to cells within our joints cause inflammation – and it’s not simply a case of extra weight putting pressure on our knees and hips.

Producer: Paula McGrath

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast
New way of giving lifesaving drug in childbirth | Health Check podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast