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Increasing prevalence of vestibulo-cochlear decompression illness in Malta - an analysis of hyperbaric treatment data
Charles Paul Azzopardi1,2,3, Joseph Caruana4,5, Lyubisa Matity2
1Corresponding author: Dr Charles Paul Azzopardi, Hyperbaric Unit, Mater Dei Hospital, Triq id-Donaturi tad-Demm, Tal-Qroqq, Msida, Malta, charles.a.azzopardi@gov.mt.
Introduction:
Scuba diving is a big part of the tourism sector in Malta, and all the cases of decompression illness (DCI)are treated within the single hyperbaric referral centre in the country.
Methods:
This retrospective analysis reviews all the medical records of divers with DCI in Malta within the 30-year period between 1987 to 2017 who required recompression therapy with hyperbaric oxygen.
Results:
There were 437 discrete cases of DCI managed with recompression therapy. Amongst DCI subtypes, the prevalence of musculo-skeletal DCI is decreasing, whereas that of vestibulo-cochlear DCI is increasing.
Conclusion:
The increasing prevalence of vestibulo-cochlear DCI may be due to a change in diving practices in Malta.
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