Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/01/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> > > >When that ferry sank in the Baltic Sea about 10 or more years > back many > > of > > > >the survivors who survived the longest in the cold water were the > ones > > who > > > >were highly annebriated. > > > > > > If the survival rate of the drunks was higher than that of the > sober > > passengers, I'd like to hear from some of the MDs on the list > explaining the > > difference in survival rates... I'd imagine that since alcohol > dialates the > > capillaries the drunks' heat loss would be significantly greater > than the > > sober survivors. > > > > > I'd be interested to know more too. From what I recall hearing in > the press > > at the time there were some passengers who were fished out of the > ocean > > with greatly reduced body temperatures in coma like states. These > are ones > > where the alcohol increased the chance of survival. These were not > 'normal' > > cases of hypothermia where the individual is concious or > semi-concious. a couple thoughts... assuming that there is true documented increased survival with alcohol in the body... 1. as Doug Herr said... alcohol will cause vasodilation and increase the rate of heat loss...that's a negative for alcohol... however see below...*** *** on the other hand !! rapid chilling can paradoxically help survival as in cold water drowning with its better outcome... 2. but death with hypothermia often occurs due to cardiac arrythmia, as the core temperature decreases through a critical range... possibly alcohol reduces the chance of arrythmia...that's a plus for alcohol...and that may apply to the specific subgroup you refer to... that had increased survival... Steve - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.558 / Virus Database: 350 - Release Date: 1/2/04 - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html