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Re: Pre-med physics in practice




We have a physician's word that this effect does not occur. Why not?

Good grief! We have a physician's explanation that --

>At 23:04 15 06 2001 , you wrote:
>>In Dr Peter Gott's (MD) sydicated column of 6/15/2001,
.............
>>and relaxed. Because the arterial circulation is basically a hydraulic
>>system, the pressure should be the same in arms and legs, regardless of
>>position."

Which of course is nonsense.

From an experimental physicist's point of view there is not much point in
debating the issue -- just take B/P with the arm over the head and then
again at the hips all whie standing!

And do it with a manual sphig and cuff - the automatic ones are commonly
off by several percent! Of course when I suggested this to a nurse
recently, she became a bit (a lot) miffed until the physician did it
manually and found the reading off by 20mm -- of course she didn't know
what it was 20 of -- had no idea that it was 20mmHg and how that was a
measure of pressure -- medical offices are dangerous!

BTW I have commonly given the cuff position question on the final to
classes of nurses. Physics should be a required course for all medical
people -- it is the only place they will learn some of the important stuff
-- levers, sound, nerve conduction, thermo, fluids, nuclear radiation -- if
this is left to med or nursing school, they will get the silly stuff that
physicians and others offer in their columns.

And that some physicists assume is true!


Jim Green
mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen