Quick question about alcohol

[squee!]

Does alcohol after a dive increase the likelyhood of getting the bends? I would think not, but someone I know said that it might. In otherwords, how does alcohol in the blood affect nitrogen outgassing from the tissue to the blood?

 

[Mako Mark]

Alcohol has a number of effects, one of the worst is dehydration (les liquid 0 less gas transport) the other is vasodialation, which opens up the blood vessels and therefore changes the rate at which gas is transported.

First beer of the day comes after the last dive of the day, even if it is 8 o'clock in the morning (Good Australian Divemaster saying)

 

[miketsp]

Recent thread on same subject:
http://www.scubaboard.com/t65854.html

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello squee:

Physiology

Alcohol will most likely not play a big role in gas exchange with the type of diving done by recreational divers. If one were looking at altitude DCS (in a chamber where the DCS incidence can be 40%), it is possible that one might see something if you were really intoxicated. Surprisingly, a series with rabbits did seem to find an improvement in outcome [Zhang LD, Kang JF, Xue HL. Ethanol treatment for acute decompression sickness in rabbits. Undersea Biomed Res. 1989 Jul;16(4):271-4.] but this was not found with human divers on milder profiles [Eckenhoff RG, Olstad CS. Ethanol and venous bubbles after decompression in humans. Undersea Biomed Res. 1991 Jan;18(1):47-51.]

Non Physiology

To me , the problem of alcohol is a behavioral one. If divers drink beer and then become rowdy, nuclei generation will increase. Then most certainly, there is the well-know effect of alcohol and good judgment. Alcohol will produce mistakes in diving that could lead to death or injury.

Dr Deco :doctor:

Readers, please note the next class in Decompression Physiology :1book:
http://wrigley.usc.edu/hyperbaric/advdeco.htm

 

[CABear]

It doesn't.