Differential diagnostic problems of decompression sickness--examples from specialist physicians' practices in diving medicine
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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Assessment of Pulmonary Capillary Blood Volume, Membrane Diffusing Capacity, and Intrapulmonary Arteriovenous Anastomoses During Exercise
Published on: February 20, 2017
1Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Department, Naval Medical Institute, Split, Croatia. nadan.petri@morh.hr
Abstract:
It can be expected that the differential diagnosis problem of decompression sickness will increase in the future due to the increasing number of divers. During the last 30 years, 232 divers were treated for decompression sickness (DCS) at the Naval Medical Institute (NMI) in Split, Croatia. In 66 cases (28%), physicians at various diving sites reached diagnosis with difficulty, and 86 divers (37%) came directly to the NMI without seeing a physician first. Physicians at remote diving locations frequently have only basic knowledge of diving medicine and are often inexperienced. The language barrier was a major obstacle in obtaining a medical history and examination of foreign divers. Consultations at the NMI proved a major contribution to correct diagnosis and treatment. We present six illustrative cases from NMI Archives that demonstrate how prejudices, panic, and inexperience could create problems in establishing DCS diagnosis.
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