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A type of 'suspended animation' is being used by a team of US doctors to save the lives of patients who have experienced traumatic injuries, such as stabbings or gunshot wounds. Dr Samuel Tisherman from the University of Maryland describes the procedure, which includes cooling a patient down to 18°C - a point at which the body doesn’t require as much oxygen. This gives surgeons more time to repair the damage - as much as two hours.

(Image: Surgeons operate on a patient. Credit: Getty Images.)