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A Model to Simulate Clinically Relevant Hypoxia in Humans
Published on: December 22, 2016
Decompression sickness following breath-hold diving.
J D Schipke1, E Gams, Oliver Kallweit
1Research Group Experimental Surgery, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany. schipke@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
Research in Sports Medicine (Print)
|September 14, 2006
Summary
Decompression sickness (DCS) is a risk for breath-hold divers, especially with repetitive dives. Awareness and preventative measures are crucial for divers, physicians, and associations to avoid these accidents.
Area of Science:
- Diving Medicine
- Hyperbaric Physiology
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Decompression sickness (DCS) risk in repetitive breath-hold diving is often underestimated.
- Recent textbooks are beginning to acknowledge the dangers of repeated breath-hold dives.
- Divers, including amas, naval instructors, spearfishers, and competitive free-divers, face varying risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the incidence and risks of DCS in breath-hold diving.
- To highlight the under-recognition of DCS in this population.
- To propose strategies for risk assessment and prevention.
Main Methods:
- Literature search of Medline, ISI Web of Science, and internet search engines.
- Analysis of reported cases of DCS following repetitive breath-hold dives.
- Comparison of DCS risk across different groups of breath-hold divers.
Main Results:
- Approximately 90 cases of DCS after repetitive breath-hold dives were identified.
- Spearfishers, particularly during competitions or using scooters, show a rising incidence of DCS.
- Competitive free-divers training for deep dives (e.g., 171m) are increasingly prone to accidents.
Conclusions:
- DCS is a significant risk in repetitive breath-hold diving that requires greater acknowledgment.
- Breath-hold divers, their advisors, and physicians must be aware of DCS symptoms and treatment.
- Development of standardized risk assessment and prevention algorithms is needed to mitigate avoidable accidents.
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