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Hemoglobin During and Following a 4-Week Commercial Saturation Dive to 200 m
Damian Łuczyński1, Jacky Lautridou1, Astrid Hjelde1
1Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Frontiers in Physiology
|December 24, 2019
Summary
Commercial saturation divers experienced mild anemia and reduced hemoglobin (Hb) levels after deep-sea dives. Hemoglobin levels returned to normal within 6-7 days post-saturation, potentially explaining diver fatigue.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Occupational Health
- Diving Medicine
Background:
- Commercial saturation divers work in hyperbaric hyperoxia and must readjust to normal air.
- Understanding physiological changes, like hemoglobin levels, is crucial for diver well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To monitor hemoglobin (Hb) development during and after heliox saturation diving.
- To assess the duration for Hb recovery following saturation dives.
Main Methods:
- Male commercial saturation divers (n=11) reported daily capillary blood Hb for 28 days during heliox saturation at ~200m.
- Hb was also measured for 12 days post-saturation (n=9-7) using HemoCue 201+ devices.
Main Results:
- Hemoglobin remained normal during saturation but decreased during decompression.
- Mild anemia (≤13.6 g/dl) was observed the day after returning to the surface.
- Hb levels were significantly lower on day 5 post-saturation (12.8 ± 1.8 g/dl) but normalized within 6-7 days.
Conclusions:
- Saturation diving caused transient mild anemia in commercial divers.
- These Hb changes may contribute to the fatigue experienced by divers post-saturation.
- Observed Hb changes were modest and returned to baseline within 12 days.
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