VTWarrenG,
Ahh good you brought up alcohol and driving. Yea I feel it's wrong to drink and drive but people do it (was almost killed by a drunk driver, SHE was also convicted of having and using drugs at the time) now the solution is fairly simple. You don't 'force' them to drive sober as that's evading the whole problem. You *EDUCATE* them about alcohol and the dangers then give them education on psychology and behavior change, if they are willing. THEN and ONLY then can adjustments be made. An equal statement is deep air, yea it may not be the smartest thing to do but to force someone to NOT do it is just plain wrong and highly stupid. That's ignoring the problem. The solution is EDUCATE them as to what happens, how it happens and allow the diver to overcome this obstacle.
Now as for references.
From the usn diving manual:
Experience, frequent exposure to deep diving, and training may enable divers to perform air dives as deep as 180-200 fsw, but novices and susceptible individuals should remain at shallower depths. The performance or efficiency of divers breathing compressed air is impaired at depths greater than 180 fsw. At 300 fsw or deeper, the signs and symptoms are severe and the diver may hallucinate, exhibit bizarre behavior, or lose consciousness. Furthermore, the associated increase in oxygen partial pressure at such depths may produce oxygen convulsions.
DCIEM
These results lead to the conclusion that the anecdotal reports of adaptation by divers can probably be attributed to the subjective rather than the behavioral component of narcosis. Dissociation of these components suggests mediation by different brain mechanisms, and it is speculated that the gamma-aminobutyric acidA/benzodiazepine receptor complex, which has been implicated in both the anesthetic and anxiolytic properties of agents such as nitrous oxide, may be involved.
USN reports, 1937
http://www.scuba-doc.com/narked.html
Please see the dealing with section.
They found that experienced workers were less affected, and that the most severe signs and symptoms appeared immediately when the subjects arrived at the target pressure. They discovered that the narcosis intensified with rapid compression.
Not to mention the studies in lithium as a preventive measure for narcosis.
Some mention of it in Edmonds text, Diving and Subaquatic Medicine, 3rd Edition
Seems that most sources state it's the rate of descent, brain chemistry, gas levels, workload and other similar factors.
Some people get narked faster than others.
OH and I almost forgot 2 sources.
JJ's article in the IANTD technical encyclopedia states "there is NO single right configuration"
Contact tom mount and ask him about the narcosis studies where he was the lab rat.
Ed
