A little thought on hydrostatic shock...

rwsmith

rwsmith

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If there's a shot in the thorax, sometimes the brain is damaged by hydrostatic shock, sometimes it's not. I have an idea as to a contributing cause of brain damage.

Blood pressure is measured by systolic (the middle of a heartbeat) and diastolic (between the heart beats). A typical measurement for a normal person could be 120/70 mm of mercury. The pressure can be nearly twice as high in the systolic as opposed to the diastolic.

If the shock wave occurs while the heart is in the middle of beating, the total pressure is:

120 mm Hg + hydrostatic shock

If the shock wave occurs while the heart is between beats, the total pressure is:

70 mm Hg + hydrostatic shock

It seems more likely to cause damage to the brain (broken blood vessels) if the shock occurs at maximum pressure. Therefore, this can't be predicted, but it's a matter of chance of what the blood pressure will be when the shock wave hits.

Does this make sense?
 
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".....120/70 Inches of mercury....."

That should be millimeters of Mercury. Your figure is more than 25 times as high and would be fatal long before you even got half-way there! Your figure is equal to 3048/1779 mm.
 
shouldazagged said:
No need for that. Just show the miscreant a picture of Salma Hayek and then shoot him.
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If I saw Salma Hayek, you wouldn't have to shoot me...my heart would stop all by itself.

Salma-Hayek-Hairstyles-Tousled-Wedding-Hairstyle.jpg
giphy.gif
 
Thank you, that was indeed stupid.....

Alk8944 said:
".....120/70 Inches of mercury....."

That should be millimeters of Mercury. Your figure is more than 25 times as high and would be fatal long before you even got half-way there! Your figure is equal to 3048/1779 mm.
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If you substitute 'mm' for 'inches' does it make sense? With blood pressure that high there would be no need for hydrostatic shock because all of the blood vessels would explode.:eek:

I did go back and fix it, just in case posterity reads it and scratches their head.
 
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Thatsa whata I'ma sayin'a..........

Kanewpadle said:
Seems to make sense. But the key word is "sometimes". ;)
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Hitting somebody between beats is less likely to do brain damage than if hit right on the beat. There's no way to predict it. Unless you have a cuff hooked up to the target and time your shots to coincide with the maximum pressure.:D:D:D
 
Let's just pray we never have to use deadly force. It's not like shooting paper. Justified or not, it would be a life changing moment. If you are faced with it, go for center of mass and hope your aim is true.
 
I respectfully disagree that it matters whether the heart is between beats or at the peak of a beat. 120mm of mercury is 2.3 psi, 70 mm of mercury is 1.35 psi. Ballistic pressure waves believed to be the hydrostatic shock have been measured with high speed pressure transducers. Peak pressure of 500 psi (9mm), 1200 psi (357 sig), and over 1500 psi (40 cal). At these levels, +/- 1 psi is not going to make any difference.
 
Picture?

The picture...

Sorry, having technical difficulties here. The pic I'm trying to upload is from Wild Wild West where she turned around and the pajama flap was unbuttoned,
 
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