Lung trauma

[fisherdvm]

Are lung injuries really this easily obtained? What are the easiest ways to prevent them?

Thanks
David

We see spontanous pneumothorax in healthy people .... so I am sure, smokers, asthmatics, and even normal folks can have weak spots in their lung that doesn't take much more than 3 ft of water pressure to injure. I think 3 ft of water pressure is about 1/10 of an ATM, about the equivalent of driving up a 1000 ft mountain.

 

[reggiehg]

Normal ascents are best done slowly and brething normally; emergency ascents are taught to be done like that - yes. As long as your airway is open to blow small bubbles, expanding air can escape. This will most certainly be covered in your first certification course.

Related question: I was wondering about the increased O2 content in compressed air. If we are breathing compressed air containing 2x the O2 molecules, shouldn't we theoretically be able to breath at half our regular rate of breathing? I am NOT suggesting holding my breath! I am asking whether it is logical to think that I can breath much more slowly (always keeping my airway open) w/ compressed air than w/ regular air?

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello reggiehg:

The rate of breathing is determined by carbon dioxide in the blood stream. This waste product gas is the determinant. We breathe the same even with pure oxygen.

In actuality, we remove very little oxygen from the air we breathe. It is for this reason that we can perform mouth to-mouth resuscitation, since so much oxygen (about 19%) remains in the exhaled air.

Dr Deco :doctor:

 

[reggiehg]

Wow, we just use 2% of the air we breath in each lung full (21%-19%)? That's interesting ;-) No wonder marine mammals can stay so long underwater, among other adaptation, I suppose.

Tx, Doc!

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello reggiehg:

Diving mammals are good at remaining underwater because their muscles contain an abundance of myoglobin, an oxygen-binding protein related to hemoglobin. Oxygen is bound directly in the muscle.

All vertebrates have this protein, although the concentration will differ. For example, the meat of young cattle (e.g. veal) will be light in color will older cattle will be quite red. Likewise, pork is light in color in comparison to beef. Diving mammals can store considerable amounts of oxygen in the muscle tissue by means of myoglobin.

While some oxygen from the lungs can be transported by the blood of these mammals, the circulatory system slows down in actuality. Myoglobin is then the major player.

Dr Deco :doctor: