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Title: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: Frank_Baker on Sep 3, 2014 I am aware of the Goldfinger movie and I know it is fiction, but there have apparently been real-life cases where covering the skin has resulted in suffocation. There are at least 2 cases of people dying of suffocation, when the skin was completely covered with an air-tight substance. I read about one of those cases through a school text book which involved a 19th century woman who painted every inch of her skin gold, and she ended up dying through skin suffocation. Another case involved a boy who was painted for a circus act, dying in the same way through suffocation.
I am aware that there is actually gas exchange occurring in the skin - namely with CO2 and O2 (O2 is absorbed, CO2 is excreted via the pores). Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: bio_man on Sep 3, 2014 I am aware that there is actually gas exchange occurring in the skin - namely with CO2 and O2 (O2 is absorbed, CO2 is excreted via the pores). Do you have scientific evidence for that? Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: Frank_Baker on Sep 3, 2014 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22494481
Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: bio_man on Sep 3, 2014 Quote The present study tests the hypothesis that skin on the plantar surface of the foot absorbs oxygen (O(2)) when immersed in water that has a high dissolved O(2) content. Quote We estimate that skin absorbs 4.5 mL of O(2)·m(-2)·min(-1) from O(2)-infused water. Thus, skin absorbs appreciable amounts of O(2) from O(2)-infused water. Those are not normal conditions, so that doesn't provide proof to what you stated earlier: I am aware that there is actually gas exchange occurring in the skin - namely with CO2 and O2 (O2 is absorbed, CO2 is excreted via the pores). Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: Frank_Baker on Sep 3, 2014 What I meant to say was skin DOES take in oxygen.
People HAVE died of suffocation from having their skin covered up. It said so it a school text book. Obviously this means skin O2 absorption pails in comparison to O2 absorbed by the lungs because people suffocate if their skin is covered up even if their airways are working. Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: bio_man on Sep 3, 2014 What I meant to say was skin DOES take in oxygen. No - you we suggesting that it exchanged oxygen for CO2, which isn't true. People HAVE died of suffocation from having their skin covered up. People suffocate from heatstroke. Same reason why dolphins can't survive on land - their skin is too thick and so they die of heat. Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: Frank_Baker on Sep 3, 2014 What I am saying is there are cases in school textbooks of people dying of *suffocation* after being covered in airtight paint.
This would mean the skin is a very important organ for respiration. Get it now? Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: bio_man on Sep 3, 2014 What I am saying is there are cases in school textbooks of people dying of *suffocation* after being covered in airtight paint. Air tight paint? Possibly due to intoxication, poisonous fumes. This would mean the skin is a very important organ for respiration. Only if you believe --> "I am aware that there is actually gas exchange occurring in the skin - namely with CO2 and O2 (O2 is absorbed, CO2 is excreted via the pores)." Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: Frank_Baker on Sep 3, 2014 No, I believe that skin is more important for respiration than the lungs because 2 people died from suffocation after having their skin completely covered in an air tight substance.
Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: bio_man on Sep 4, 2014 No, I believe that skin is more important for respiration than the lungs because 2 people died from suffocation after having their skin completely covered in an air tight substance. Well then, do an experiment to see how many people will survive if you submerge them into water without an air supply to their lungs. Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: amemarco on Oct 13, 2014 I think mythbusters took on this one and the said plausible.
Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: bio_man on Oct 13, 2014 I think mythbusters took on this one and the said plausible. What's the episode? Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: Alexx on Oct 13, 2014 Quote I think mythbusters took on this one and the said plausible. Did they test it to themselves? :PWell, covering the skin is certainly not healthy. However, any health side-efects are rather irrelevant with the so-called "skin breathing". Health side effects might include hyperthermia, infections etc. Anyways, im pretty sure that the lack of oxygen on the skin by itself is incapable to cause any problems. Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: amemarco on Oct 13, 2014 I have to google it, I cant recall.
Title: Re: Will a person suffocate if their skin is covered up? Post by: Rom on Nov 14, 2014 Alexx is right, "lack of oxygen on the skin by itself is incapable to cause any problems".
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