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...

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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...

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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:...

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