The medical hot air balloon debate
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The medical hot air balloon debate
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my husband showed me an article from the sunday papers where a man was discussing the fact that his wife would throw him out of the sinking hot air balloon and save their children. Although slightly r
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Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » The medical hot air balloon debate
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The medical hot air balloon debate
posted at 18/6/2012 12:49 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 878
First: 17/6/2011 Last: 24/5/2013 |
my husband showed me an article from the sunday papers where a man was discussing the fact that his wife would throw him out of the sinking hot air balloon and save their children. Although slightly ridiculous if you had the choice which of these doctors would you ask to leave?
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Re: The medical hot air balloon debate
posted at 18/6/2012 4:19 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2060
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 24/5/2013 |
As usual in such quasi-philosophical debates, you need to define your terms. Anyone can use local anaesthetic, but only for minor surgery, and there's no point in an anesthetised patient unless someone is competent to remove the gall bladder. Are we on a desert island? Or otherwise stranded in some out-of-the-way spot? Then the public health doctor is the one to keep, as long as they can advise on latrines and insect avoidance, when the physician, similarly informed will have their place. But I have to say, if we are 'Lost' after some disaster, with some of us injured and some suffering from debilitating jungle diseases that require resuscitation, then the anaesthetist with their critical care expertise will be the one we should keep. But then I would say that, wouldn't I? John |
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Re: The medical hot air balloon debate
posted at 18/6/2012 6:11 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3045
First: 27/3/2012 Last: 20/5/2013 |
I would not like to say good bye to any of my esteemed colleagues, all of them are contributing equally at their best for the medical fraternity . So, I would prefer to throw myself out of the 'medical hot air balloon' instead. |
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Re: The medical hot air balloon debate
posted at 19/6/2012 3:07 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2952
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 25/5/2013 |
The answer is obvious. The public health doctor would be used to diagnosing balloonitis it the VD clinic so he should go as he would want to get out his scalpel to treat the balloon phimosis and the balloon would not have a chance. Out! The physician being a chest physician would be working out the partial pressure of oxygen as the balloon descends, not to mention applying Charle's Law and the Bernoulli principle so he is a waste of space. Out as he tries to rig up an oesophageal balloon for the body box...his. The psychiatrist has correctly diagnosed that the surgeon, being a narcissist, has an inflated ego and thus is likely to improve the balloon's chance of staying up longer. He also sees that the surgeon is a mental light weight which also helps. The shrink, coming from the Jungian school and expert in Eastern philosophy, decides to sacrifice himself well knowing the principles of karma as he is reincarnated as a dung beetle to subsequently consume the body of the surgeon who eventually crashes in the balloon as all those on board decide to jump out as one rather than be crushed by his boring company. |
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Re: The medical hot air balloon debate
posted at 19/6/2012 12:10 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2060
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 24/5/2013 |
In Response to Re: The medical hot air balloon debate: The physician being a chest physician would be working out the partial pressure of oxygen as the balloon descends, not to mention applying Charle's Law and the Bernoulli principle so he is a waste of space. Posted by Odysseus Ahem! As I'm in that balloon, and I hope as aquainted with the gas laws as a chest physician, I wonder why he is concerned with the partial pressure of oxygen as the balloon descends. It's ascent that will reduce the available O2, and that is another reason to keep the anaesthetist. If anyone wonders what partial pressures are, see: http://www.altitude.org/partial_pressure.php And work out for yourself how high the balloon can go without oxygen cylinders with this handy online calculator: http://www.altitude.org/oxygen_levels.php John |
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Re: The medical hot air balloon debate
posted at 19/6/2012 1:39 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2952
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 25/5/2013 |
Perhaps he is just enthralled with how the partial pressure rises just as a cup of tea with a tea bag will draw more quickly with a stronger cup as the ballon descends. Funny...some of us are just as enthralled about more oxygen as what you did not know was that a man in the balloon has emphysema and was looking forward to a more sympathetic ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity.
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Re: The medical hot air balloon debate
posted at 20/6/2012 10:04 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 878
First: 17/6/2011 Last: 24/5/2013 |
I hate to say this skyesteve but my husband's comment was 'you would do the same'!. I would keep the physician and the anaesthetist - at least if for no other reason I'm sure that they would be the most likely get on with each other if ever the balloon makes a safe descent! The other two can toss a coin perhaps? sadian |
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