Related Experiment Videos
Case report: intracardial gas bubbles in relation to altitude decompression chokes
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|November 1, 1978
Summary
Altitude decompression sickness (DCS) or chokes occurred unexpectedly during a dive-fly experiment. Precordial Doppler detected gas bubbles for over an hour before symptoms appeared, resolving with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Area of Science:
- Aviation Physiology
- Hyperbaric Medicine
- Decompression Sickness
Background:
- Investigating safe time intervals between diving and flying at high altitudes.
- Examining the physiological responses to rapid pressure changes.
- Utilizing precordial Doppler ultrasound for gas bubble detection.
Observation:
- A case of altitude decompression chokes occurred unintentionally at 9,000 m.
- Intracardial gas bubbles were detected for 65 minutes, with heavy showers for 38 minutes, before symptom onset.
- Symptoms persisted partially after recompression to surface pressure.
Findings:
- Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for 10 minutes completely resolved decompression sickness symptoms.
- The same subject and others did not develop chokes in similar experimental conditions despite heavy bubble loads.
- Precordial Doppler ultrasound is a valuable tool for monitoring intracardial gas bubbles during decompression stress.
Implications:
- Highlights the unpredictable nature of decompression sickness, even with established protocols.
- Suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an effective treatment for altitude-induced DCS.
- Emphasizes the importance of advanced monitoring techniques like Doppler ultrasound in aviation and diving safety research.