Basics of a Dive Accident
The two most serious dive related accidents are Air Embolism (arterial gas embolism), and Decompression Sickness (venous gas embolism). Heart attack, CVA, drowning, trauma, etc. are not diving accidents, though they may be aggravated by the act of diving. Consider all pressure related accidents as directly related to diving, and all other situations as whatever their root cause is. Treat medical emergencies as any other medical...
Recompression
There are two basic classes of diving emergency requiring recompression, air embolism (arterial gas embolism) and the Bends (decompression sickness). Air embolism is the most dangerous diving accident, and is an extreme medical emergency requiring immediate recompression. When a diving accident takes place, and recompression is required, the victim should be transported to a chamber. Never undertake in-water recompression. The chance...
Air Embolism (Arterial Gas Embolism, AGE)
When a diver’s airway is shut on ascent the expanding air in the lungs can provoke a rupture of the alveoli, thereby causing air to move into the arteries. The expression arterial gas embolism (AGE) better describes the action than the general term air embolism, and is pulmonary barotrauma following voluntary breath holding, or a closure of an airway. It also can result from gas being trapped in the air passages due to diseases,...
Environmental stress on diving-induced platelet activation
UHMS 2001:28(4)207-211 Platelet activation has been suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of prethrombotic states and thus may be responsible for decompression illness during compressed air (scuba) diving. To investigate the physical, mental, and environmental stress on platelet activation during immersion in ice-cold water, we examined 10 male breath-hold divers (BHD), 10 elite BHD (eBHD), and 10 scuba divers during...