Great question Jair. 

Justin Ott started filming a documentary called "ClusterHeads" several years ago and as I recall, gave a presentation with sequences from this documentary at the 2007 OUCH Convention in Richmond VA. 

Perhaps there is still someone at OUCH with the corporate memory to tell us what happened to this documentary.  There's no mention of it at Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or .

You can find an excerpt from "Clusterheads" showing ClusterChuck a.k.a. Chuck Setzco trying to abort a CH with too low an oxygen flow rate on Youtube at the following link:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Watch how the 1-liter reservoir bag on the disposable non-rebreathing oxygen mask is collapsed most of the time.

Artonio Ammabile filmed a sequence of himself experiencing a brutal CH at the following link:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

He also filmed a sequence of himself while aborting a cluster headache with oxygen therapy at the following link:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Although Artonio managed to achieve an abort in under 10 minutes, the 15 liter/minute flow rate was too low and the 1-liter reservoir bag on his NRB mask was also too small to support taking a complete breath of oxygen.  The only reason Artonio was successful in aborting this CH at a flow rate of 15 liters/minute was because he was able to remain calm and essentially motionless during this session.  Had he moved around with the same level of physical activity as Chuck, this oxygen therapy session would have taken much longer...

An oxygen flow rate of 15 liters/minute is more than sufficient to oxygenate blood hemoglobin to 100% saturation.  However, an oxygen flow rate of 15 liters/minute will not provide sufficient lung ventilation to remove excess CO2 that builds rapidly with physical activity.  Try climbing a couple flights of stairs at a rapid pace or do 30 seconds of jumping Jacks and you'll be breathing air at a flow rate of 30 liters/minute or higher.

A non-rebreathing oxygen mask only lets you breathe as deeply as the oxygen flow rate.  If there's any physical activity at this flow rate, CO2 levels will continue to build.  As CO2 is a more powerful vasodilator than oxygen is as a vasoconstrictor, if there's any physical activity, a flow rate of 15 liters/minute will be ineffective or the abort will take far too long.

Take care,

V/R, Batch

Hey Bill,

Thanks for the quick response.  I kind of figured most of that but wasn't sure.  I wonder what it would take to re-energize Justin to complete the effort.  I do recall seeing some traffic about a contract.

Thanks again and take care,

V/R, Batch

Jair,

Justin Ott never finished the documentary.  You might want to give Justin a ring or email and ask what it would take to finish it...  Here's his contact data from his website at Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or .

Justin D. Ott
NY / NJ
646-373-8615
justinott@mac.com


Take care,

V/R, Batch