Alcohol, respiration, skin and body temperature during cold water immersion

Martin, Sheilagh; Diewold, R. J.; Cooper, K. E.

doi:10.1152/jappl.1977.43.2.211

Cited by 19 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…On the basis of the evidence obtained during the present experiment, and that from relevant earlier studies (Martin et al 1977;Keatinge and Evans 1960), it is concluded that in young, healthy individuals who know what is going to happen to them, moderate concentrations of alcohol in the blood (18-28 mmol 7 1 -1 , 85-130 mg 7 100 ml -1 ) may slightly reduce the initial responses to immersion in cold water. The practical significance of these reductions is questionable.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

The effect of blood alcohol on the initial responses to cold water immersion in humans

Franks¹,

Golden²,

Hampton

et al. 1997

European Journal of Applied Physiology

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Many drowning victims have alcohol in their blood, but it is not clear whether there is a causal relationship. This study examined the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on the initial responses to cold water immersion. Sixteen subjects wearing swimming costumes undertook two, 3-min head-out seated immersions in water at 15 degrees C. One hour before immersion, subjects drank either 3.7 ml.kg body water-1 of 40% v:v alcohol as vodka, or an equivalent volume of water (control) mixed with squash. On immersion, the average blood alcohol concentration was 23 mmol.l-1 (105 mg.100 ml-1) after alcohol consumption and zero in the control condition. Respiratory frequency in the first 20 s of immersion was found to be reduced (P < 0.05) by 10% (a total of 2-3 breaths) after alcohol consumption compared to the control immersion. Tidal volume, heart rate, rectal temperature and skin temperatures did not differ significantly between immersions. It is concluded that moderate alcohol consumption does not attenuate the initial "cold shock" responses to a practically significant extent and is thus unlikely to reduce the risk of drowning on immersion in cold water.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

The effect of blood alcohol on the initial responses to cold water immersion in humans

Franks¹,

Golden²,

Hampton

et al. 1997

European Journal of Applied Physiology

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“…Experiments in man show that a moderate dose of alcohol can reduce body temperature in a dry, cold environment (Graham and Dalton 1980;Graham 1981), but not in cold water (Martin et al 1977;Kuehn et al 1978;Fox et al 1979). Fox et al (1979) have suggested that the absence of an alcohol effect on skin temperature in cold water is due to the very intense stimulation by the water on the receptors, which causes strong vasoconstriction and thereby reduces heat loss due to alcohol, and this is reflected in the unchanged core temperature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since earlier experiments have shown that alcohol in moderate amounts does not significantly alter cold-tolerance during immersion in cold water (Martin et al 1977;Kuehn et al 1978;Fox et al 1979), it was decided to study the effect of a moderate dose of alcohol on the activity of the skeletal muscle in anesthetized rabbits immersed in ice-cold water. This was done by monitoring the adenine nucleotides and the phosphorylation state of the adenylate system (ATP/ADP × Pi) after alcohol infusion and cold immersion; the phosphorylation state being an important ratio for the regulation of the respiration rate (Klingenberg 1961;Owen and Wilson 1974).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skeletal muscle activity of alcohol-treated rabbitts in immersion hypothermia: Adenine nucleotide concentrations and phosphorylation state

1985

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The effects of alcohol injection (0.5 g . kg-1 i.v.) on the core cooling and rewarming rates, concentration of the adenine nucleotides, and the phosphorylation state of the adenylate system (ATP/ADP X P) were studied in the skeletal muscle of anesthetized rabbits immersed in ice-cold water. NaCl-injected rabbits immersed in ice-cold water were used as cold controls, alcohol-treated animals at room temperature (20 degrees C) as alcohol warm controls, and NaCl-injected animals at room temperature as anesthesia controls, respectively. The fall of core temperature to 32 degrees C in the alcohol-treated rabbits and the cold controls took about 40 min. During this time the temperature of the alcohol warm and anesthesia controls fell by about 1 degree C. No difference in the rewarming rate was observed between the alcohol-treated and cold control rabbits. Serum glucose concentration was elevated in the cold controls (from 5.9 to 8.3 mmol/l) but not in the alcohol-treated rabbits. Cold exposure reduced the phosphorylation state in the skeletal muscle of the alcohol-treated rabbits by 32% (P less than 0.05), but the decrease (6%) was not significant in the cold controls. After rewarming the phosphorylation state decreased in the above groups by 71% and 15%, respectively, as compared with the initial values. No significant changes in the phosphorylation state were found in the warm control animals. The redox state of the cytosol in the skeletal muscle or liver did not change, nor was there any change observed in the arterial pO2 or pCO2 concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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“…Whether such consumption accelerates the rate of progress into hypothermia of a victim in cold water has not been fully resolved. Martin et al ( 1977) showed no effect of alcohol (blood concentration of 90 ing% ) on body temperature and ventilation responses during the initial 20 min of immersion in 13°C watcr. However, studies on immersion hypothernlia (Hayward et al 1975a(Hayward et al , 1975b, have shown that factors which influence core cooling rate into hypothermia begin to show their effect only after about the first 15 min of immersion.…”

mentioning

confidence: 89%

Effect of alcohol on thermal balance of man in cold water

Fox¹,

Hayward²,

Hobson³

1979

Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol.

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The effects of alcohol on core cooling rates (rectal and tympanic), skin temperatures, and metabolic rate were determined for 10 subjects rendered hypothermic by immersion for 45 min in 10 degrees C water. Experiments were duplicated with and without a 20-min period of exercise at the beginning of cold water immersion. Measurements were continued during rewarming in a hot bath. With blood alcohol concentrations averaging 82 mg 100 mL-1, core cooling rates and changes in skin temperatures were insignificantly different from controls, even if the exercise period was imposed. Alcohol reduced shivering metabolic rate by an overall mean of 13%, insufficient to affect cooling rate. Alcohol had no effect on metabolic rate during exercise. During rewarming by hot bath, the amount of 'afterdrop' and rate of increase in core temperature were unaffected by alcohol. It was concluded that alcohol in a moderate dosage does not influence the rate of progress into hypothermia or subsequent, efficient rewarming. This emphasizes that the high incidence of alcohol involvement in water-related fatalities is due to alcohol potentiation of accidents rather than any direct effects on cold water survival, although very high doses of alcohol leading to unconsciousness would increase rate of progress into hypothermia.

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Alcohol, respiration, skin and body temperature during cold water immersion

Cited by 19 publications

References 0 publications

The effect of blood alcohol on the initial responses to cold water immersion in humans

The effect of blood alcohol on the initial responses to cold water immersion in humans

Skeletal muscle activity of alcohol-treated rabbitts in immersion hypothermia: Adenine nucleotide concentrations and phosphorylation state

Effect of alcohol on thermal balance of man in cold water

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