[Diving of patients with spinal cord injuries]

Three patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries of a level below Th 5 have been certified as sports divers in Norway, and an increasing number of other paraplegics and tetraplegics have shown an interest for diving. The article reviews possible complications for these patients during diving. It is concluded that diving is not unsuitable for patients with spinal cord injuries, even for tetraplegics, but these persons run greater risk of complications than healthy divers do. However, on the basis of present knowledge, we have prohibited diving to below 20 m, and patients with spinal cord injuries over Th 5 have so far been advised not to dive. All diving must be performed only after comprehensive training and adaptation.