Perfluorochemicals as a treatment of decompression sickness in rats

Perfluorodecalin and perfluorotripropylamine which have N2 solubility coefficients of 28.4 and 35.7 ml/dl, respectively, were used for treatment of decompression sickness in this study. Rats with chronically implanted venous catheters were held for 30 min at 800 kPa (7 bar, 8 ATA) by introducing compressed air into a chamber in which they were kept; a relatively short period of decompression followed (200 kPa/min). Immediately thereafter injections of the perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in a dose of 10 g/kg were given, controls received saline in the same volume or remained without treatment. An observation period of 2 h followed; after this time the incidence of death amongst the experimental animals (as compared with controls tested by the chi 2-test) showed that PFC treatment increased the likelihood of survival. Probit-log time relationship for the incidence of death also revealed a significant decrease in lethality in treated rats 30 min after the end of decompression. The mean lethal times Lt50 differed significantly, too. A still greater effect might be expected if the PFC emulsion were deprived of its normal nitrogen content by oxygenation before administration. Under the conditions of the present experiments PFCs produced an improvement in N2 exhalation at least in terms of the survival rate after compression followed by a very short decompression time.