keaalu: (Default)
keaalu ([personal profile] keaalu) wrote2007-02-07 04:07 pm

(no subject)

Now why can't I get questions like this in Medicines Information? "What are the physical effects on the human body of protracted periods of hypobaria? Case in point, if a stellar vessel was venting atmosphere and it could not be replaced (thus a vacuum was forming), how long would a human survive and what would the effects on the body be? (Haemorrhage, hypotension, CNS effects etc?)"

It's all legitimate research, I swear. ;)

[identity profile] dragonheadthing.livejournal.com 2007-02-07 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Congratulations. You have achieved the most random question of the day award. :)

As far as the answer, I don't really know, but it would probably be simmular to altadude sickness first. After that I have no idea.

[identity profile] keaalu.livejournal.com 2007-02-07 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Hurrah, awards! :)

Yeah, that was my guess too. I think I got too "inventive" and it's probably all wrong, now, so go figure. It doesn't help that there's not a whole lot of evidence available. ;P

[identity profile] aegis-fox.livejournal.com 2007-02-09 08:01 am (UTC)(link)
Hm.. well, it is possible to study the effects of a vacuum on living organisms, since we can create them, but generally, ethics tends to get in the way. Time of survival would depend on the rate of venting, though - a slow vent would keep you alive longer. But in terms of medical effects... not a clue.

That, and I have no idea what hypobaria means.

[identity profile] keaalu.livejournal.com 2007-02-11 02:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah - there's been incidents of people getting acidentally "vacuum-ed" (and they survived) but that's not what I'm after... ohwell.

And "hypobaria" means "low pressure". :)