The Nation - News from Aug. 6, 1986

William J. Schroeder, the longest-living artificial heart patient, has taken a turn for the worse, and his family has gathered nearby, a hospital official in Louisville, Ky., said. “Doctors have no idea at this time what caused Schroeder’s condition to deteriorate. All I can say is they are now looking for a cause,” said Donna Hazle, a spokeswoman for Humana Hospital Audubon. Schroeder, 54, the only surviving implant patient of Dr. William C. DeVries, has lived 619 days with the Jarvik-7 heart. He has suffered three strokes since the device was implanted on Nov. 25, 1984.