The technology being investigated is called therapeutic hypothermia. The astronaut's body temperature would be lowered to about 90 F (32 C), putting them into a hibernation like sleep called torpor. This state would dramatically lower the metabolism, reducing caloric intake needs and slowing muscle atrophy. The film showed full body immersion in fluid. Current studies utilize either application of gel packs or insertion of chilled fluids nasally or intravenously. Sedatives would inhibit shivering. Food would also be intravenous.
Therapeutic hypothermia has not yet been demonstrated possible for long periods. It is used in hospitals, today, after some traumas, but only for brief periods. The longest a human has been under therapeutic hypothermia is 14 days. There is no knowledge of whether such a thing could be done for several months without deleterious effects. Medical challenges that would need to be addressed include thromboembolism, infection, bone demineralization, muscle atrophy, electrolyte imbalances, liver failure, and hypoglycemia. And then, if there are medical complications, how will the crew be treated if the medical officer is also in torpor? Remote treatment would be challenging because of the signal lag.
Read other answers by Robert Frost on Quora:
- How many people have actually gone to space?
- Can astronauts see Earth lights from space?
- Why do astronauts in space sleep while standing?
from Quora http://ift.tt/28QkZQc
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