Italians make lung-dialysis breakthrough - update

(ANSA) - Turin, September 24 - An Italian team of doctors has successfully experimented for the first time in the world a method of lung dialysis to help treat Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which has been ranked at the globe's third-leading cause of death. The method was tested at Turin's Molinette hospital and Bologna's Sant'Orsola hospital. Lung dialysis is a low-invasive system that purifies the patient's blood by reducing carbon dioxide levels. Tests suggest it can reduce mortality rates among COPD suffers from 35% to 7%.