Three cases of spinal decompression sickness treated by U.S. Navy Treatment Table 7

For patients of type 2 decompression sickness, recompression therapy using U.S. Navy Treatment Table 6 (TT6) and its extensions is the most common means of treatment. However, some cases are resistant to the recompression therapy, and the outcome of TT6 is not always satisfactory. Although a new table, the U.S. Navy Treatment Table 7 (TT7) was described in 1985 in the U.S. Navy Diving Manual, to date few cases who were treated using TT7 have been reported. Here, we report three cases of spinal decompression sickness who received treatment according to TT7. Two were sports scuba divers, and the other a commercial diver. TT7 was applied later than 4 d after onset in all three cases; two patients were remarkably improved during the recompression therapy, while the other improved to a certain extent after additional repetitive TT6. Mild impairment of lung function, probably due to pulmonary oxygen toxicity, was observed on lung function testing in one case. In all cases, after additional TT6 and/or rehabilitation, patients were able to return to active daily living.