Sudden adult death syndrome: causes. Why do people die

Soviet fighter pilot Valentin Bondarenko could become the first man in space. In any case, he had a chance of this... But he simply did not live to see his first flight: he died by a stupid accident during testing.

First squad

Valentin Vasilyevich Bondarenko was born on February 16, 1937 in Kharkov. His father, the head of a workshop at the Kharkov fur factory, went to the front in the first days of the war. Together with his mother and older brother, Valentin survived the German occupation. As a high school student, he began studying at the Kharkov flying club. In 1954, after graduating from school, he entered the Voroshilovgrad Military Aviation School, after its disbandment he transferred to Grozny, and then to the Armavir School, from which he graduated with honors in 1957. Military service Bondarenko served in the aviation units of the Air Force of the Baltic Military District.

On April 28, 1960, Valentin’s cherished dream came true: after careful selection, he was enrolled in the first squad of Soviet cosmonauts. Out of several thousand applicants, only 29 people were selected.

Initially, Valentin was not one of the six candidates for space flight on the Vostok spacecraft. But for various reasons, several selected future cosmonauts dropped out of action, and Bondarenko was brought in for training.

Ridiculous death

The tests included a ten-day stay in a pressure chamber, the purpose of which was to test the reaction to the absence of external stimuli. It was believed that the conditions in the chamber were close to the conditions inside the spacecraft. It was located at the Air Force Research Institute-7 (now the Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine).

At the end of the experiment, Valentin was informed that he could remove the medical sensors attached to his body. There were red marks left at the attachment points, which Bondarenko wiped with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol. After that, the young man, without looking, threw the cotton wool towards the trash can. But by an unfortunate accident, it landed on the spiral of a hot electric stove and immediately burst into flames... Since the chamber was filled with almost pure oxygen, the flame quickly spread. Bondarenko's woolen training suit caught fire.

It was not possible to open the chamber quickly due to the large pressure drop. When it was finally opened, the cadet was still alive. Doctors at the Botkin Hospital fought for his life for 8 hours. He died on March 23, 1961, just 19 days before Gagarin’s flight, who, together with his squad comrades, spent several hours in his hospital... The cause of death was burn shock.

Secret Hero

The death of Senior Lieutenant Valentin Bondarenko was not reported anywhere: in those days, everything related to space was strictly classified. However, on June 17, 1961, by decree of the Presidium Supreme Council USSR Bondarenko “for the successful completion of the government’s assignment” was posthumously awarded the order Red Star.

At Bondarenko’s grave, located in Kharkov at the Filippovsky cemetery, an obelisk was erected with the inscription: “In blessed memory from fellow pilots.” Only in the 80s did the postscript appear: “-cosmonauts of the USSR.”

Bondarenko left behind his wife Anna and son Alexander. For some time they continued to live in Star City, where Anna worked at the Cosmonaut Training Center, then they left for Kharkov, where they had relatives. Until Sasha’s 16th birthday, he was paid a pension of 100 rubles for his father - quite decent money at that time. Subsequently, Alexander Bondarenko followed in his father’s footsteps and became a military pilot.

Only in 1980 did the Western press begin to write about the death of Valentin Bondarenko. In the USSR, an article about him was first published in 1986 in Izvestia. In 1991, one of the lunar craters was named after Bondarenko, and in July 2013, the name of the cosmonaut was given to school No. 93 in the city of Kharkov, where he once studied.

It would seem that the death of Valentin Bondarenko has nothing to do with the space flights themselves - it is simply a tragic accident. However, without such mistakes and tragedies, astronautics could not develop. By the way, this story forced engineers and scientists to reconsider the design of the test pressure chamber, in particular, changing the composition and pressure of the atmosphere, which was taken into account in the further development of manned spacecraft.

Today, in the Museum of the First Flight, located in the city of Gagarin, Smolensk region, in the small homeland of the world’s first man to go into space, you can see a deaf chamber, which is an exact copy of the one in which Valentin Bondarenko died.

Adults are a phenomenon that takes root in daily life modern man. It is happening more and more often. But no one can say for sure that the deceased was seriously ill. That is, in fact, death occurs suddenly. There are a number of reasons and risk groups that can influence this phenomenon. What the public needs to know about sudden death? Why does it occur? Is there any way to avoid it? All features will be presented below. Only if you know about the phenomenon all the information known on this moment, you can try to somehow avoid encountering such a situation. In fact, everything is much more complicated than it seems.

Description

Sudden adult death syndrome is a phenomenon that became widespread in 1917. It was at this moment that such a term was first heard.

The phenomenon is characterized by the death, and causeless death, of a person in good health. Such a citizen, as already mentioned, did not have any serious illnesses. In any case, the person himself did not complain of any symptoms, and also did not receive treatment from a doctor.

Accurate definition this phenomenon No. Exactly the same as the real mortality statistics. Many doctors argue about the reasons why this phenomenon occurs. Sudden adult death syndrome is a mystery that is still unsolved. There are many theories according to which they die. More about them below.

Risk group

The first step is to figure out who is most often exposed to the phenomenon being studied. The thing is that sudden adult death syndrome occurs quite often in Asians. Therefore, these people are at risk.

SIDS (sudden unexplained death syndrome) is also often observed in people who work a lot. That is, workaholics. In any case, this is the assumption made by some doctors.

The risk group includes, in principle, all people who:

• unhealthy family environment;
• hard work;
• constant stress;
• there are serious illnesses (but then death is usually not sudden).

Accordingly, the majority of the planet's population is exposed to the phenomenon being studied. No one is safe from it. According to doctors, during an autopsy it is impossible to establish the cause of a person’s death. This is why death is called sudden.

However, as already mentioned, there are several assumptions according to which the mentioned phenomenon occurs. Sudden death syndrome in an adult can be explained by several methods. What assumptions exist regarding this topic?

Man vs chemistry

The first theory is the effect of chemistry on the human body. Modern people surrounded by a variety of chemicals. They are everywhere: in furniture, medicines, water, food. Literally at every step. Especially in food.

There is very little natural food. Every day the body receives huge doses of chemicals. All this cannot pass without a trace. And so sudden adult death syndrome occurs. The body simply cannot withstand the next charge of chemistry that surrounds modern man. As a result, life activity ceases. And death comes.

The theory is supported by many. After all, as practice has shown, over the last century, unexplained deaths have begun to occur quite often. It was during this period that the progress of human development was observed. Therefore, we can consider the impact of environmental chemicals on the body as the first and most likely cause.

Waves

The following theory can also be scientifically explained. It's about about electromagnetic waves. It's no secret that a person has been under the influence of magnetism all his life. Pressure surges are very well felt by some people - they begin to feel bad. It proves Negative influence electromagnetic waves per person.

At the moment, scientists have proven that the Earth is the second most powerful planet in the solar system producing radio emissions. The body, being constantly in such an environment, suffers some kind of malfunction. Especially in combination with exposure to chemicals. And this is where sudden adult death syndrome arises. In fact, electromagnetic waves cause the body to stop performing functions to ensure human life.

It's all about breathing

But the following theory may seem somewhat unconventional and even absurd. But it is still actively promoted around the world. Quite often, sudden death syndrome occurs during sleep in an adult. Regarding this phenomenon, some put forward incredible assumptions.

The point is that during sleep the human body functions, but in an “economical” mode. And a person dreams during such periods of rest. Horror can cause the body to refuse to function. More precisely, breathing is impaired. It stops because of what it sees. In other words, out of fear.

That is, a person does not realize in a dream that everything that happens is not reality. As a result, he dies in life. As already said, a somewhat incredible theory. But it does happen. By the way, sudden death syndrome in infants during sleep is explained in a similar way. Scientists say that if, while resting, a child dreams that he is in the womb, then breathing will stop. And the baby “forgets” to breathe, since oxygen must be supplied to him through the umbilical cord. But all this is just speculation.

Infection

What else can you hear? What are the causes of sudden adult death syndrome? The following assumption generally looks like a fairy tale. But it is sometimes expressed.

As already said, an incredible, fabulous theory. There is no need to believe this assumption. Rather, such a story is an ordinary “scarecrow”, which was invented in order to somehow explain sudden death syndrome in adults.

Overwork

Now some information that looks more like the truth. The thing is that, as already mentioned, Asians are at risk of people susceptible to sudden death syndrome. Why?

Scientists have put forward a certain assumption. Asians are people who work constantly. They work very hard. And so the body at one point begins to deplete. It “burns out” and “turns off.” As a result, death occurs.

That is, in fact, the sudden death of an adult occurs due to the fact that the body is overworked. Work is often to blame for this. As statistics show, if you pay attention to Asians, many die right at work. Therefore, you should not work to exhaustion all the time. This pace of life has a negative impact on health. A person does not show any other signs other than fatigue.

Stress

Also among the most common theories regarding death without cause is stress. Another assumption that you can believe in. As already mentioned, people who are constantly in a nervous environment not only have a high risk of disease and cancer, they are also classified as a high-risk population that may experience sudden death syndrome.

The theory is explained in almost the same way as in the case of permanent job and stress - the body “wears out” from stress, then “switches off” or “burns out”. As a result, death occurs without any visible reasons. The effects of stress cannot be detected at autopsy. Just like the negative impact of intense, systematic and incessant work.

Results

What conclusions follow from all of the above? Sudden night death syndrome, as well as daytime death in adults and children, is an unexplained phenomenon. There are a huge number of different theories that allow one or another group of people to be classified as at risk. Doctors and scientists to this day cannot find an exact explanation for this phenomenon. Just like putting forward a clear definition of sudden death syndrome.

Only one thing is clear - in order to avoid a high risk of dying for no apparent reason, it is necessary to healthy image life, worry less and relax more. In modern conditions, bringing an idea to life is very problematic. In any case, doctors recommend at least minimizing tension and the amount of stress. Workaholics need to understand that they also need to rest. Otherwise, such people may die suddenly.

If you lead as healthy a lifestyle as possible, the likelihood of sudden death is minimized. Every person should remember this. No one is immune from the mentioned phenomenon. Scientists are trying to study it as best as possible and find the exact cause of this phenomenon. So far, as has already been emphasized, this has not been done. All that remains is to believe numerous theories.

The atmosphere on our planet, the distance to the sun and many other incredible coincidences have led to the fact that life as we know it can exist on Earth. We take all this for granted, and we, rushing to work or relaxing at a table in a cafe, do not find anything surprising in our existence. But all good things come to an end. One day the Earth will become unsuitable for supporting life as we know it. Maybe this won't happen for millions of years. But astrophysics tells us that a catastrophe can happen at any moment. And scientists have found many reasons why the Earth can become lifeless.

1) The planet's core will cool down

2) The Sun will expand

3) The Earth will collide with a wanderer planet

4) The Earth will collide with an asteroid

5) The Earth may come close to a wandering black hole

6) The Earth will be destroyed by a burst of gamma radiation

7) The Universe will fall apart in its final “Big Rip”

Everyone knows about terrible poisons and tries to stay as far away from them as possible. It would never occur to anyone to put a jar of arsenic in the refrigerator or kitchen cabinet. But you can find a lot of all kinds of solvents, cleaners, fresheners and other products. But they are no less dangerous than potassium cyanide.

3. Insecticides help fight pests, but you can become poisoned by spraying them in unventilated areas. The use of these drugs will lead to convulsions and coma.
4. Some artificial nail remover solvents may cause serious consequences. When consuming them, you can get methemoglobinemia and oxygen starvation.

5. Be careful with pipe cleaners, as the fumes from these products can kill if inhaled and burn internal organs.
6. Numbing creams work on the area where they are applied, but if you do not follow the instructions, you can damage your eyes.

7. Anionic detergent, known as a carpet cleaner, is very caustic and can cause organ damage and may cause blindness if it gets in your eyes.
8. If you exceed the dose of iron tablets, you can get iron poisoning. If you don't get help within 24 hours, your brain and liver will suffer. You might even die.

9. Toilet bowl cleaners remove dirt and bad smell. If consumed, this drug can damage internal organs and cause you to fall into a coma.
10. Pain pills, including paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen, can cause death if overdosed. The internal organs will simply fail.

11. Furniture polish can cause a coma if you drink this product or inhale it well. If polish gets into your eyes, you can go blind, and if it gets on delicate skin, it can cause burns and irritation.
12. Perfume and cologne contain alcohol ethanol and isopropanol. Both of these substances can cause nausea, anxiety and seizures.

13. Don't drink mouthwash. It can cause diarrhea, dizziness and coma.
14. Gasoline is dangerous due to its fumes, inhaling which can cause dizziness, depression blood pressure, pain in the eyes, ears, nose and throat.

15. Drinking kerosene, the liquid that is used for lighting, in kerosene lamps and kerosene gases, can cause bloody stools, cramps and a burning sensation in the internal organs.
16. Moths are annoying, but you can’t eat anti-moth tablets. You can get oxygen starvation and coma.

17. Oil paints may damage the skin, and if ingested into the stomach or lungs may cause serious health problems. nervous system and cause death.
18. Codeine is sold as prescribed by a doctor, but in overdose it causes fatigue, drowsiness, intestinal cramps and death.

19. Taking a large dose alcoholic drinks, we not only get drunk, but get seriously poisoned and even die if medical assistance is not provided in time.
20. If it turns out that someone swallowed paint thinner, then there is a risk of necrosis of the tissues of internal organs, and if inhaled, memory loss and fever.

21. Rodent poison can cause blood in the urine and stool, a metallic taste in the mouth, and as brain hemorrhage occurs, pale skin and death.
22. Some skin lightening creams contain mercury in such quantities that it can cause poisoning. The gums may bleed, there will be bloody stools, vomiting and death.

23. Most deodorants or antiperspirants contain aluminum salts and ethanol. Tasting or inhaling large enough amounts can cause diarrhea, vomiting, coma and death.
24. Turpentine is a substance that is obtained from pine. If you taste it or inhale it deeply, you can get bloody stools and die.

25. Everyone knows that thermometers contain mercury. You should not taste it, as it is a highly toxic metal.
26. Repellents contain insect poison that protects us from their bites. Ingestion of the repellent may cause vomiting, coughing and convulsions.

27. Anti-redness creams for babies can be very dangerous in the hands of children. Never leave them within the reach of an infant. You take a risk even if you step away for a minute.
28. You may have acne, which means you use special creams. Never taste these products or apply them intensively to the skin - you will minimally get contact dermatitis.

29. Calamine lotion is used for skin conditions, but it contains zinc oxide, which can cause chills, nausea and high temperature.
30. Teflon is used to coat pans and pots to prevent food from burning, but when heated, it can lead to cancer and other health problems. Do not leave cooked food on the Teflon surface for a long time.

31. Contains the plastic from which it is made plastic bottles, contains bisphenol, which can cause cancer and hormonal problems in adolescents, speeding up the transition to puberty.
32. If herbicides are destructive to one organic matter, then they can harm another. If they are consumed internally, you can fall into a coma.

33. All fireproofing materials contain polybrominated diphenyl ethers, which can cause many health problems. In Europe, the use of these substances is prohibited.
34. Sleeping pills can kill.

35. If you have items in your home that are covered with Scotchgard, which was produced before 2000, you may suffer from birth defects and other health problems.
36. The powder that is in the printer is also an unsafe material. If you print a lot on laser printer, do this in a well-ventilated area.

37. Coal tar is a carcinogen, which means it causes cancer.
38. Formaldehyde is used in the woodworking industry; if you inhale the fumes of this substance, you can feel irritation in the nose and eyes, and nasal cancer can occur in pets.

39. Lead paint is rarely used today, but that doesn't mean lead poisoning is uncommon because you have old newspapers and books stored in your attic, or even the paint itself.
40. Motor oil can damage organs, especially the lungs. In addition, motor oil poisoning can cause brain damage and breathing problems.

The "primary devastation" phase

On the 5th day after irradiation, the level of most formed elements in the blood begins to fall - "primary devastation" phase.

Clinically, this phase manifests itself when the cell content decreases to a critically low level. This time determines the duration of the latent period.

Dose determination

total body irradiation according to the content of leukocytes in peripheral blood on days 7-9 after irradiation

The duration of the latent period is shorter, the higher the dose

irradiation:

With a mild form of ARS, the latent period may end after 30 days or more;

For moderate form – after 15-30 days;

In severe cases - after 5-20 days;

In extremely severe forms, there may be no latent period.

III. Height period.

Occurs when the number of blood cells drops below a critical level:

In addition, it is observed:

toxemia,

predominance of catabolism over anabolism,

vegetative dystonia,

autoimmune lesions.

But the basis of the lesion is a violation of the hematopoietic function.

IV. Recovery period

If death does not occur during the peak period

regenerative processes in the hematopoietic system lead to an increase in the number of mature blood cells

the symptoms of the peak period are eliminated.

During this period, complete or partial normalization of the functions of critical body systems occurs.

Prognosis for life with ARS:

Mild degree – favorable;

Moderate – favorable with proper treatment;

Severe – doubtful, even intensive complex therapy is not always successful.

Work ability with ARS:

Mild degree - preserved. During the 2nd month of illness, restriction of heavy physical labor is required;

Moderate degree - by the beginning of the 3rd month of illness, a return to light work is possible, and after a year - to normal activities;

Severe degree - performance is not fully restored. Light work is possible from the 4th month of illness.

Intestinal form of ARS:

With general irradiation at a dose of 10-20 Gy, the intestinal form of ARS develops, the basis of which is the intestinal syndrome.

It is associated with damage and death of small intestinal epithelial cells. The consequence of this damage is:

cessation of resorption of water from the lumen of the small intestine and

electrolytes

dehydration develops; disruption of the barrier function of the intestinal wall

toxic substances (E. coli toxins) enter

into the blood and lymph

During the height of the intestinal form of ARS:

health worsens,

diarrhea develops

body temperature rises,

oropharyngeal syndrome develops,

dehydration,

intoxication,

endogenous infection.

If treated, those affected with the intestinal form of ARS can live up to two or even two and a half weeks. Causes of death may be:

Pancytopenic syndrome;

Attachment of a secondary infection;