PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - survival with loss of oxygen at high altitudes
Old 8th Aug 2015, 15:08
  #1 (permalink)  
hawk37
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
survival with loss of oxygen at high altitudes

I was asked if oxygen deprivation due to extremely high altitude (low pressure) would be any different than oxygen deprivation at sea level.

I understand that time of useful consciousness is down to 15 seconds or so at very low pressures, however I'm asking about permanent brain damage.

I came up with the following scenario to illustrate this. Suppose an average individual is subjected to 4 minutes at FL410 in a pressure chamber without any oxygen breathing apparatus. Would he be any more or less brain dead than an individual at sea level who was denied oxygen for 4 minutes (for example underwater with nose/mouth blocked)?

Would one situation be more likely to require the use of CPR or mouth to mouth resuscitation?

I am interested in your thoughts

Hawk
hawk37 is offline