Re: Pre-med physics in practice

[Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>]

Since my search of this thread resulted in no record of someone's doing the
experiment, here's my result:

overhead (fingers hanging from header)     81 +/- 7  /  41 +/-5

relaxed by thigh                                       160 +/- 4  /  118 +/-
13

differences of above:  79 +/- 8  /  77 +/- 14  (n=11, both cases)


difference in heights: ~ 1 m  (40")

 "A variation in head of 20cm water gage can be
represented as a pressure variation of 15 mmHg in these units." [bw]


using above I predict 75 mm

Praxis - Theorie   = 3 mm      Well with in SD

bc







Jim Green wrote:

> > 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