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Mark,

>This question is directed to the anesthesiologists out there.  Are there
>in existence today any drugs which will increase the solubity of gases
>in the blood ?  

No.  Solubility is a physical property, so a 'drug', in the sense of the 
word that I understand, will not alter the solubility of the blood.  
However, the solubility can be, and is, altered by changing the physical 
properties of the blood, by adding to or replacing components.  This is 
done, for instance, by introducing perflourocarbon emulsions into the blood. 
 Perflourocarbons have high solubility for gases of respiratory importance.  
Such a technique could be used to improve the oxygen carrying capacity of 
blood in anaemia,  for which I believe they are not used very successfully.

>My thinking was that if a suitable drug could be
>administered to the diver either during the dive or after a DCI hit that
>would increase the solublity of N2 in the blood, then the "bandwidth" of
>offgassing could be increased.

I am not sure I understand your use of 'bandwidth', but your thinking is 
good.  In fact, perflourocarbons in conjunction with oxygen breathing has 
been used experimentally with good results for treatment of DCI in volunteer 
hamsters and rats, with the hypothesis that indroduction of them into the 
blood stream may help keep gases in solution rather than in bubbles.

 > How effective are the lungs at removing
>excess dissolved gases ?  

Extremely efficient.

>My guess is that this is completely and
>directly related to the concentration gradients at the alveolar level.

yes.



regards,

David Doolette
ddoolett@me*.ad*.ed*.au*

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