A New Pumping Device Brings Hope for Cheney*

But is it water-resistant?

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*By Lawrence K. Altman in today’s Times.

This is actually a fascinating story:

Mr. Cheney’s [device] is about the size of a D battery and leaves most recipients without a pulse because it pushes blood continuously instead of mimicking the heart’s own pulsatile beat. Most such pulse-less patients feel nothing unusual. But they are urged to wear bracelets or other identifications to alert emergency room doctors as to why they have no pulse.

Dick Cheney living without a pulse—I mean, you can’t make this stuff up.