"Suture code" devised by 16-year-old could save lives
A 16-year-old boy and his father have created an award-winning code that can communicate a patient’s medical history to cardiac surgeons, reported the Evening Standard on 20 April 2017. The technology could stop surgeons feeling confused when they lack access to written medical records.
Ben Gould, an A-level student at Dulwich College, UK, came up with the idea for the code after observing open heart surgery at Barts Medical Centre where his father works as a cardiologist. The code involves tying the wires that close the sternum after surgery in a special way to indicate the number and location of heart grafts. The code could be detected by angiogram should the patient need emergency heart surgery in the future.
Alex Shipolini, a cardiac surgeon at Barts Heart Centre, has tested the code and says it is easy to apply. His team is talking to surgeons across the UK to encourage them to use the code routinely.
Original article: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/boy-on-work-experience-creates-code-to-save-heart-attack-victims-a3518941.html


