Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
Actually this case, tragic as it is, represents a unique opportunity to illustrate the tendencies of all parties in this debate to jump to conclusions, read through rose colored glasses, and then argue it (or instead argue something else) on the net. The unit does have the ability to log the aspects of the dive and gas vital to the discussion of what lead to the death of Dr. Kendal, more objectively than any buddy diver could (although it lacked the ability to rescue him as a well trained buddy in that situation should have.) Plus the ME has much more sophisticated tests at his disposal than mere physical signs such as cyanosis to determine what the actual 'pathway of death' was. There is a common 'pathway of death' that all humans follow while dying, with some variances mainly due to the order in which the steps happen or if some are missed. Bill Mee is correct in that SOME modes of death from 'natural causes' are identical to the mode of death from a hypoxic breathing mix in a rebreather loop. But many are not identical, and they leave many clues that an ME could and should detect, such as blood pH, cardiac enzymes, etc. Together with the units log and a detailed autopsy report not only will the precise demise of Dr. Kendal be known, it will serve to illustrate the behavior of the WKPP, USDCT, and all the supporters and detractors of each camp. Both sets of information will serve as learning tools for future list use. Paltz, Art wrote: > This was a response that was posted to cavers but not to Tech Diver. > Figured this is should also be posted here. I'm sure it was just an > oversight by Bill. > > Art. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bill Wolk [mailto:BillWolk@ea*.ne*] > Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 1999 12:05 AM > To: Paltz, Art; Bill Mee > Cc: cavers > Subject: RE: Natural Causes = What Next? > > On2/22/99 8:53 AM, Paltz, Art wrote: > >Hi All, > > > >Here's an obvious question. I'll preface it by saying I really > don't > >know much about rebreathers. The CIS is a fully closed > computerized > >system, computer redundant if I'm not mistaken. If it's > computerized > >and monitors O2 by sensor I suppose it does what all other > computers on > >the market do, log the dive? If this is the case, how come I > have not > >heard anything about the logs? I'd assume if there was a > problem in the > >rebreather the sensor would show a really low O2 content? I > know the > >CO2 content won't show but would the O2 content shed some light > on the > >situation? Sorry if this has already been thought of.... > > > >Thanks, > >Art. > > Art - > That is a very interesting question. Presumably, if Dr. Kendall died of > natural causes, the log will show zero gas use for some time period > before the P02 became hypoxic or will show that it did not become > hypoxic at all because the diver stopped breathing-using gas-while it > was still normoxic or hyperoxic. (That's assuming the sample rate of > the computer is frequent enough to catch the hyperoxic episode.) On the > other hand, if the log shows a P02 that was too low to sustain life at > any point during the dive, then the natural causes determination becomes > very suspect. > Bill Mee-assuming hypoxia is the cause of death, wouldn't the body show > signs of cyanosis-blue nail beds, lips, skin, etc.-that are detectable > by the ME and which wouldn't be present if Dr. Kendall had died from > other causes? > Forgive me if my understanding of both the CIS Lunar Mk 5 and > post-mortem physiology is very cursory, but as Art Paltz put it: this > stuff seems just too obvious to slip by the local investigators. > > Best regards- > Bill > -- > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]