NARCOSIS: ARE YOU “SAOUL”?

Text: Pascal ZENATTI

The hypotheses show a sensitivity of nerve cells to certain inert gases, including nitrogen. The action of nitrogen on nerve cells slows down the transport of nerve impulses with the effects that we all know at 60 meters.
As the surrounding pressure increases, the partial pressure of nitrogen increases in accordance with Dalton's law.
Narcotic-effect gases are biochemically inert: they do not interact by modifying cell chemistry. They would, a priori, have a simple mechanical effect.

Two hypotheses have therefore been put forward as physiopathology and it is despite everything the permeability of the cell membrane to certain components which is the common hypothesis:
1 - the lipid hypothesis: the gases would diffuse in the double layer of lipids forming the cell membrane and distend it.
2 - The protein hypothesis, suspected in the 60s: the gases would interact directly with the proteins of the cell membrane.

The change of inert gas in the inhaled mixture modifies the appearance of the disorders. Certain gases (helium or hydrogen) are less narcotic than nitrogen and are used to compose special mixtures breathed mainly by professional or tek divers.

THE DECLINING FACTORS

Stress, cold, fatigue, jet lag, toxic substances are all known risk factors for narcosis.
The threshold for triggering symptoms varies from one individual to another.

SYMPTOMS.

Sensation of well-being, euphoria or, on the contrary, anxiety, loss of sense of time and distance, difficulty in concentrating, mental slowness, amplification of sounds, sensation of echo, narrowing of the visual field, blurred vision, difficulty reading instruments, delay in responding to signs, internal dialogue, obsession, decrease in attention, memory and coordination, loss of consciousness, ...

TWO EXAMPLES OF TRIGGER FACTORS:

- Alcohol is a factor favoring very long narcosis. Indeed, by way of example, 2 grams of alcohol in the blood will promote a state of narcosis for + 17:30 p.m. for men and + 24 hours for women.

Parallel between alcohol and diving
A study, certainly a little daring, could highlight the number of Martinis bus and the level of narcosis, depending on the depth.

- The second triggering factor that we will see here is that of the best-selling drug in France, from the benzodiazepine family: Bromazepam / Lexomil
This drug takes about 19 hours to lose half of its pharmacological or physiological activity.

The known side effects of this substance are: Amnesia, behavioral disorders, changes in consciousness, irritability, aggression, agitation, lightheadedness (dizziness), headache, ataxia (lack of fine coordination), confusion, decreased alertness or drowsiness ( especially in the elderly), insomnia, nightmares, tension, muscular hypotonia, asthenia.
Ocular Adverse Effects: Diplopia (double vision)

It is important to note here great similarities with the effects of narcosis ...

EXISTING NARCOSE TESTS

To evaluate and ensure your safety against the danger of narcosis there are different possibilities:
- Either to comfort yourself in the certainty that you will never narcosis or that, if you narcotic, you would never be dangerous. And according to an internal study done for Physio-Extrem, there are still far too many divers who think so.

- Or use a simple test that any diving instructor can offer: a calculation to be carried out at random, basically, but the validity of this test is seriously questioned.

- Or even to use a test carried out by professionals, but not really available to the general public ...

- Or finally to use the test carried out by Physio-Extrem.

PRESENTATION OF THE TEST

This test, developed and marketed by Physio-Extrem, allows a complete analysis of the diver's condition, for the majority of the symptoms presented above.
It has been developed on divers-recreation in collaboration with divers-psychologists.
Last season was unfortunately particularly deadly in diving. However, a reliable test of a few minutes performed from time to time, would detect a potentially risky situation ...

More: www.physio-extrem.com