MR imaging of the central nervous system in diving-related decompression illness
Reuter M, Tetzlaff K, Hutzelmann A, et al.
Acta Radiol 1997; 38:940-944
This investigation was conducted to determine whether MR imaging showed cerebral or spinal damage in acute diving-related decompression illness, a term that includes decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism (AGE). A total of 16 divers with dysbaric injuries were examined after the initiation of therapeutic recompression.
Their injuries comprised: neurological DCS II n=8; AGEn=7; combined cerebral-AGE/spinal-DCSn=1. T1-
and T2- weighted images of the brain were obtained in two planes. In addition, the spinal cord was imaged in seven subjects. The imaging findings were correlated with the neurological symptoms. MR images of the head showed ischemic cerebrovascular lesions in six of eight patients with AGE but showed focal hyperintensities in only two of eight divers with DCS. Spinal cord involvement was detected in one of seven examinations, which was the combined cerebral-AGE/spinal-DCS case. There was agreement between the
locations of the documented lesions and the clinical manifestations. MR readily detects cerebral damage in AGE but yields low sensitivity in DCS. A negative MR investigation cannot rule out AGE or DCS. However, MR is useful in the examination of patients with decompression illness. Try to dating hints tips ladies on this internet site.
How many of you have contacted your local hospital emergency department(s) to find out what protocols they have for scuba-related accidents? We found out many years ago that our local hospitals were sadly lacking in knowledge.
They kept a DCI victim in their ED for 17 hours because they didn’t understand the signs of DCI and it wasn’t until they finally hooked up with a DAN doctor that the diver was sent to Westchester Med for hyperbaric
treatment. Not good! Go talk with your ED docs. There is a good chance you can teach them something. Sit down and develop a plan of action with them.
Make sure they know what DAN (Divers Alert Network) is and how to contact DAN’s emergency hotline – as well as when to call and why.
Stay safe,
TeamLGS
