British Doctors Using Paperclips To Close Wounds

[matcom]

<snip>

LONDON (Reuters) - British surgeons are endangering patients by using paper clips to close wounds and tongue depressors as splints for babies, a government agency said Tuesday.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said it had uncovered an increasing trend for doctors to use medical devices in ways they were not meant to be used, and also "adapt nonmedical products for clinical purposes."

Such misuse can put patients' health at serious risk, it said.

"For example, use of tongue depressors in a neonatal intensive care unit as limb splints led to two deaths and one amputation because of fungal infection," the agency said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=4&u=/nm/20040205/od_nm/health_paperclips_dc

[mac2]

1. Paper clips to close wounds?

This is a scare story to convince Americans that they don't want universal health care. Propaganda is rampant in Great Britain also...it's Tony Blair territory. He is pushing "privatization". So is his agency head.

We are the only developed country without it. We rank 13th in care but top in cost. Must be our health care does worse with tongue depressors and paper clips.

[madrchsod]

2. sounds like a

monty python bit-

[Hubert Flottz]

3. I did hear about the plastic surgon who hung himself!

Meddies Of Mass Destruction?

[Red State Rebel]

4. Well, they already use staples, tape and glue, why not paper clips?

[Ilsa]

5. I guess patients need to stop off at

medical supply companies on the way to the emergency department.

[Burma Jones]

6. Well, here's another weapon in the Insurance Companies' Arsenel

I can hear it now, Socialized Medicine means office supply surgery...

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

7. does this mean

I can write off my home office supplies as medical supplies? "Really Mr. IRS Auditor - I needed that three-hole punch for... well - you don't really want to know..."

[HEyHEY]

8. Good old British ingenuity