NASA Astronaut Had The First Known Blood Clot In Space

(CNN) — When astronauts encounter a medical risk on the International Space Station 250 miles up from the Earth’s surface, it’s not exactly easy for a doctor to make a house call. So when NASA researchers suspected a blood clot in one of their astronauts during a long-duration stay on the space station last year, they had to act quickly to treat the unexpected risk. The blood clot was detected during a vascular study of 11 astronauts on the station to assess the effect of space on the internal jugular vein. In zero gravity, astronauts’ blood and tissue fluid shifts toward the head. The study involved nine men and two women with an average age of 46. The identities of the astronauts were not included in the study. A new assessment of the blood clot published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Six of the astronauts experienced stagnant or reverse blood flow, one had a blood clot and another was found to have a potential partial blood clot. None exhibited symptoms and the findings wouldn’t have been apparent without the study. Two months into a six-month mission, an ultrasound of one of the astronaut’s veins revealed a blood clot. The astronaut performed a second ultrasound, guided in real time from scientists and radiologists on the ground, to confirm the findings. The radiologists interpreted the results of the ultrasound immediately. This risk had never been spotted in an astronaut during spaceflight before, so the scientists ...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Boston News Health Offbeat Syndicated CBSN Boston CNN International Space Station NASA Source Type: news