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It is widely believed that giving a daily oral dose of aspirin to heart attack patients improves their chances of survival because the aspirin blocks the formation of new blood clots.
As many as 28% of hospitalized patients requiring mechanical ventilators to help them breathe (for more than 48 hours) will develop ventilator-associated pneumonia. Current therapy involves intravenous antibiotics, but new antibiotics that can be inhaled (and more directly treat the infection) are being developed.
It is believed that the Incas used anesthesia. Evidence supports the theory that shamans chewed cocoa leaves and drilled holes into the heads of patients (letting evil spirits escape), spitting into the wounds they made. The mixture of cocaine, saliva, and resin numbed the site enough to allow hours of drilling.
There are approximately 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States each year.
Essential fatty acids have been shown to be effective against ulcers, asthma, dental cavities, and skin disorders such as acne.
![Endocarditis. The human heart has been sectioned to reveal the left ventricle and origin of the aort](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_14755_11_11_12_7_14_26_100221543.jpeg)
![Phlebotomy. In this common procedure, a syringe needle punctures a vein, usually in the arm, and wit](https://biology-forums.com/gallery/47/medium_14755_11_11_12_7_15_46_100322221.jpeg)