A Game of Thrones - TV Show Discussion Thread

[Dr Strangelove]

It depends upon the cause and the treatment. In Bran Stark's case it's possible that there may have been some self-limited intracranial bleeding and / or cerebral swelling that subsided over time and allowed cerebral function to resume. My point was that without fluid intake his circulating volume would have decreased, his kidneys would have shut down and he would have died from the effects of hypovolemia and the accumulation of toxins.

[Krill]

Leaches are used today to remove blood from people with certain conditions (haemachromatosis for one). We also use other invertebrates to remove necrotic flesh from wounds on occasion. It works out as much cheaper than other options, because it is so quick compared to surgery etc.

[Dr Strangelove]

A couple decades ago some centers were using leeches to clean certain types of skin ulcers, but there are safer ways of doing that now.

[Patroklos]

A quick google search gives answers of three weeks to a month to starve to death if you are hydrated. It's not like Bran was burning very many calories from normal activity and the broth and sugar water should have helped if they could get him to swallow it. They do mention that he was extremely frail and skinny when he woke up so starvation wasn't ignored.

So I suppose the question is can you keep an unconscious person hydrated and psuedo fed after a fashion. Can yiu trigger swallowing reflexes without choking them? Would that even happen if you are in a comma? I have no idea.

[Hauldren Collider]

Leaches are used today to remove blood from people with certain conditions (haemachromatosis for one). We also use other invertebrates to remove necrotic flesh from wounds on occasion. It works out as much cheaper than other options, because it is so quick compared to surgery etc.

That's not how they are using the leeches though. They use it to cure minor ailments, a la the four humors theory.

[MOBIUS]

Maybe they're magic leeches?

[Dr Strangelove]

A quick google search gives answers of three weeks to a month to starve to death if you are hydrated. It's not like Bran was burning very many calories from normal activity and the broth and sugar water should have helped if they could get him to swallow it. They do mention that he was extremely frail and skinny when he woke up so starvation wasn't ignored.

So I suppose the question is can you keep an unconscious person hydrated and psuedo fed after a fashion. Can yiu trigger swallowing reflexes without choking them? Would that even happen if you are in a comma? I have no idea.

No, the part of the swallowing mechanism that closes the airway off is under concious control, so if you pour liquid down the gullet of an unconcious person it goes into their lungs.

[Dr Strangelove]

Amazing!!!! The GOT season 2 came out on DVD a mere 9 days ago. I've had it reserved on my Netflix list for nearly a year, but when the DVD came out and Netflix began offering it the GOT season 2 discs were of course listed as "very long wait". My jaw dropped to the floor then when 2 days ago GOT season 2 disc 1 appeared as "shipped" in my queue. I just finished watching GOT season 2 disc 1, the rest of the discs aren't listed as being delayed. I'm moving them up on my queue in the hopes that I can get them shipped before they become delayed.

[Hauldren Collider]

Yep I got mine a few days ago from Amazon. Came with blu-ray, dvd, and amazon instant video for the same price as a regular blu ray set.

[Dr Strangelove]

I just noticed that everywhere I typed the word "Netflix" it became a shopping hot link via "SkimWords". Is this a new 'poly thing?

[Guynemer]

Been like that for a few weeks now, alas.

[Nikolai]

Months actually.

[Dr Strangelove]

Getting back to the discussion of the long winters, in the second episode of the second season when "the imp" arrives at King's Landing to take up the post of temporary King's Hand the small council discusses it's preparedness. The city has 5 years of grain stored away. Evidently the long winter do affect the country as far south as King's Landing.

[Dinner]

Mass starvation and eating a lot of fish is pretty much all I can come up with.

Supposedly crops raised during the long (multi year) spring and summer times are stored and kept for the long (multi year) winter times.

[Dinner]

Getting back to the discussion of the long winters, in the second episode of the second season when "the imp" arrives at King's Landing to take up the post of temporary King's Hand the small council discusses it's preparedness. The city has 5 years of grain stored away. Evidently the long winter do affect the country as far south as King's Landing.

Little Finger: "If the winter lasts longer than five years then we will have fewer peasants."