[Considerations on 209 cases of decompression sickness treated in Italian hyperbaric centers in 1978 and 1979]

Results of an epidemiological study on the incidence and aethiology of the cases of Decompression Sickness treated in eleven Italian Hyperbaric facilities during 1978 and 1979 are reported 209 cases were treated; 186 recovered completely, 92 improved, 5 had no advantage from treatment, 2 died. The majority of cases were in the age-range 25-29 years (15-55) and in the depth-range 40-50 msw (12-100). Decompression was mandatory in 207 cases and was not respected, mainly because the divers ascended at a wrong rate (20 msw/min in the majority, 10 cass "ballooned" to the surface, 2 cases surfaced at 1-2 msw/min). In a significant number of times decompression was aborted due to exhaustion of compressed air in the bottles. 55% of the 1979 cases referred to repetitive diving (2nd or 3rd dive of the day). The Authors conclude that human error in by far the most recurring aethiological agent in this study and point out the coincidence of the high incidence of D.S. cases south of Rome with the relative lack of diving schools in that area.