Nature and treatment of decompression sickness occurring after deep excursion dives

During Predictive Studies IV (PS IV), the fourth in a series of collaborative undersea investigations, plans were made for excursion compressions to 1200 and 1600 feet of sea water (fsw) from saturation depths of 800 and 1200 fsw, respectively. Three cases of decompression sickness (DCS) occurred in the excursion phases of PS IV; all were relieved by prompt treatment, and there were no residual effects. This paper describes the rationale and treatment regimen used for deep excursion DCS, reports the results of the treatment, and makes specific recommendations of the therapy of DCS occurring after such excursions.