[jwparkerjr]

This is interesting. 30 years ago I was the Chief of Paramedics and Training for what was then one of the largest pre-hospital ALS providers in the country. We worked with our medical directors to keep pretty good stats on how we found cardiac arrest patients and what we being done for them on arrival.

The strangest thing we came up with was that smokers stood a much better chance of surviving than did non-smokers. Our sample was relatively small and our methods were certainly not scientific, but we were really surprised at that odd finding.

I always just assumed it was because the systems of the smoker were accustomed to decreased O2 levels and the loss of a bit more wasn't as catastrophic.

Let me hasten to mention that 30 years ago out-of-hospital cardiac arrest wasn't good for you, smoker or not!

[Dysart]

I always just assumed it was because the systems of the smoker were accustomed to decreased O2 levels and the loss of a bit more wasn't as catastrophic.

Interesting observation and hypothesis. And along that line, maybe the relatively high levels of hemoglobin in many smokers is a factor in transporting every o2 molecule available most effectively?