Blood factors and venous gas emboli: surface to 429 mmHg (8.3 psi)

Analyses of 43 parameters were performed on blood obtained from 30 volunteer subjects before and after a 6-h chamber decompression from the surface to 429 mmHg. Eight subjects (5 male, 3 female) were bubble-prone (bubble grades 3 and 4), and 22 (15 male, 7 female) were resistant (bubble grade 0) to forming bubbles as detected with precordial Doppler. Significant (P less than 0.05) differences include the following: higher levels of cholesterol in the bubble-prone males and combined subjects (males and females) than in their resistant counterparts; higher magnesium in the bubble-prone males; shorter preexposure prothrombin time in bubble-prone males and combined subjects; increased partial thromboplastin time in bubble-prone females vs. the resistant females, who showed a decrease during exposure; higher preexposure hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell count in the bubble-prone females; and significant reduction in hemoglobin, red blood cell count, and serum osmolality in the bubble-prone females during the exposure relative to changes in the resistant females. In this study, high cholesterol and hemoconcentration seem to be characteristics of bubble-prone subjects.