John S. Hayward

Problems and Complications With Cold-Water Rescue

Abstract A case description is presented of a 9-member rowing team whose scull swamped on a small lake in Victoria, Canada, because of a sudden winter storm, which immersed them in 4°C water for 50 minutes until a small rescue boat found them in darkness. Another 13 minutes of cold exposure in 6.7°C air occurred during boat transport to waiting ambulance paramedics. Two rowers died, one from severe hypothermia and the other from drowning as a consequence of cold incapacitation and hypothermia. The 2 coldest rowers, who were transported 8 km to a major hospital, arrived with rectal temperatures of 23.4°C and 25°C; the first was asystolic and the second was unconscious and in sinus bradycardia. Analysis of all the circumstances of this incident provided an opportunity to observe a continuum of responses in a heterogeneous group of rowers at risk of severe hypothermia. Several practical lessons concerning cold-water survival, rescue, and treatment can be learned. The effects of low body mass were associated with greater cooling rate. Diminished neuromuscular performance in the periphery appeared to be independent of body mass. Rough handling during moving of patients with marked hypothermia introduces the risk of producing ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest. Unconscious, nonshivering hypothermia victims who are rescued and insulated from cold could have a further afterdrop of 3°C to 4°C. During transport to a hospital, the use of heating devices concentrating on core regions may increase the chance of successful treatment in the hospital. Cardiopulmonary bypass may be indicated for severely hypothermic patients in asystole.

A photodetection device for luminol-based immunodot and Western blotting assays

A photodetection device permitting rapid and direct photographic recording of light emission from luminol-based immunodot and Western blotting assays is described in detail. This device permits contact exposure on Polaroid film of luminescent samples on nitrocellulose strips, and thus obviates the need for darkroom and film processing facilities. Immunodetection of mouse alpha-fetoprotein in brown fat homogenate and immunoglobulin E in nonimmune human sera employing luminol-based Western blotting and immunodot assays were used to demonstrate the versatility and operational simplicity of the detection device. The use of the detection device in combination with luminol-based immunoassays resulted in greater signal intensities and increased sensitivity over that attainable with the commonly used chromogenic substrate, 4-chloro-1-naphthol.

Acclimatization to temperature in pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and partridge (Perdix perdix)

Abstract 1. 1. Pheasants and partridge acclimatize to cold temperatures by behavioural means, Existing insulation potential is maximized by fluffing of the feathers and minimization of overt activity. They show no significant changes in their seasonal, temperature-metabolism curves with respect to either slopes or critical temperatures. 2. 2. The energy cost of thermoregulation in winter is twice that of summer. 3. 3. Pheasant resting metabolism at thermoneutrality is best predicted by the Lasiewski & Dawson 1967) formula; partridge metabolism by the Aschoff & Pohl (1970)_formula. Partridge thermal conductance below thermoneutrality is accurately described by the Lasiewski et al. (1967) predictive formula; pheasant thermal conductance is higher than predicted.