"
Team:Groningen/PolicyandpracticeVignette
From 2014.igem.org
It is the year 2045. Tom is now around 30 years old and has been cured with LactoAid many times. Everytime he had a burn wound, the bandage worked as a charm and kept the wound clean. He even used it a couple of times on other types of wounds, for example one time when he fell of his bike in the middle of the night. There were nasty, dirty grazes on his arms and legs, but LactoAid did the job. At least, that is what he thought, because there was no infection.
Nowadays, Tom is fully confident that the bandage cures every type of wound and prevents infections. He recommends this product to all his friends and family because puts his full trust into this bandage. “No need to go to the hospital, we’ve got LactoAid in the kitchen” he used to say.
However, there has been a hitch in the workings of LactoAid. Tom is ofcourse not the only person who believes in the ‘super bandage’. Many other people are using it for different wounds, even when they are aware that it is only aimed at specific types of infections. One example is Hilda, a niece of Tom. Hilda lives in a distant village, and has also used LactoAid many times before. But the last time it went completely wrong: she had nasty, greasy wound and thought that there was no need to go to the hospital because she had LactoAid. However, after two days the whole wound appeared yellowish and Hilda became ill. Even LactoAid started to fall off.
After calling her doctor, she was advised to go to the nearest hospital. When she arrived she immediately was treated with a different type of drug. Afterwards, doctors discussed that it was lucky she chose to come to the hospital that quick, but it would have been a lot better (and it would have left less scars) if she would have come immediately after having her accident that caused the wound. All in all, it was a close call, and Hilda is now advising Tom and her friends not to put too much trust in LactoAid. Always check the wound and the description on the packing of the bandage!
Policy and practice/Future perspectives/Techno-moral vignette
