Microplastics have been found almost everywhere that scientists have looked for them. Now these bits of plastic -- from 1 to 62 micrometers long -- have been found in the filtered solutions used for medical intravenous (IV) infusions. The researchers estimate that thousands of plastic particles could be delivered directly to a person's bloodstream from a single 8.4-ounce (250-milliliter) bag of infusion fluid.
Read more …Medical infusion bags can release microplastics
The immune system typically can ramp up the body's defenses to clear out an invading threat without issue. Glitches can happen, however, with sepsis occurring when the mustered army of cells also attacks the body's own tissues and organs as if they were enemy combatants. Sepsis is dangerous, particularly when it isn't treated early, and it can lead to the even more deadly condition of septic shock -- a massive drop in blood pressure that can quickly damage organs by starving them of nutrients. Scientists demonstrate the promise of a new approach to uncovering potential treatments for sepsis.
Read more …Drug building blocks pave path to new sepsis treatments