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CNS Stimulant overdose - new in field first aid technique? (mammal diving reflex)

static_mind

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
1,379
Hello.

Iv made this post before in BDD which generated a couple of replies but tended to receive much attention and thus I let the topic die however iv decided to make a new post here, approx a year later and see what the AusDD crew think.

As we know CNS stimulants cause a rapid increase in heart rate. Im sure many of us who have used, abused and gone over the top with drugs such as Methamphetamine have felt and even had some concerns about the hard rapid thumping in ones chest. Could our hearts be on the limit or the hearts of one of our peers?

I can't remember how I came across the information of Mammalian diving reflex but il give a quick over view and post a few relivent links at the bottom. Mammal's have a reaction that helps the dive under water something which is important in aquatic animals like whales and seals. When cold water is applied to the face the body starts prepareing to dive underwater and although there are numorous changes that take place the one that has my attention in Bradycardia- that is, the heart rate slows down to conserve oxygen.

Although the diving reflex is far weaker in humans then in aquatic animals like seal's the effect is still notable. Could basic field first aid of a stimulant be able to make use of this reflex in lowering the heart rate?

From wiki
"Immediately upon facial contact with cold water, the human heart rate slows down ten to twenty-five percent."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex

From some random site
"It has been demonstrated that human subjects untrained in apneic diving react with a heart rate reduction of between 20 and 30% from the resting level, at diving or apnea with face immersion in cold water (Schagatay and Andersson 1998)"
http://users.ugent.be/~mvaneech/Schagatay.html

Another site
"Our experience with this exercise demonstrates that the bradycardia associated with the diving response is a robust effect that can easily be measured by students without any sophisticated measurement technology"
http://advan.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/27/3/130

And test results from the above site
http://advan.physiology.org/cgi/content-nw/full/27/3/130/T2

Vasoconstriction is also a noted effect of dive reflex however typically I doubt this is not an issue (maybe with the blue knees of 4-MMC however).

Idea's? Anyone reading whos tweaking able to measure their heart rate, dunk their face in cold water and measure again for us?

-static
 
Cool idea Static, thanks for posting that. I am just wondering if it is all that safe to rapidly slow your heart rate when your under the influence of a stimulant?

I bet someone on here does the experiment for you before the morning.
 
Hey great post, I've never heard of this before. I'm interested in doing this even with out drugs.
 
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Often at concerts cold water has been poured all over my face but I have never payed attention to my heart rate, I will at BDO.


I have been told by first aiders that when applying cold water to people on ecstasy to be very careful as to where to put the water. If they are over heating and you pour cold water on the wrong spots (I think back of the neck is one of them) it can send your body into shock.

I believe using cold water on flannelet's and applying to certain areas is safer.
 
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