Doppler-echocardiography study of cardiac function during a 36 atm (3,650 kPa) human dive

To determine the influence of a saturation dive on cardiac function, Doppler-echocardiographic measurements were compared at sea level and during a 36 atm (3,650 kPa) He-O2 dive (gas density: 7 g/liter) in four healthy men. Left ventricular systolic function was studied from time motion measurements. Transmitral flow (E:A ratio) and isovolumetric relaxation time were used to assess left ventricular diastolic function. Cardiac output was derived from systolic pulmonary and aortic valvular flows. Cardiac output decreased 4.4 +/- 0.8 vs. 5.9 +/- 1.2 liter/min at sea level) whereas stroke volume, left ventricular ejection fraction, atria and ventricular diameters remained unchanged. Thus, the decrease in cardiac output was attributed to bradycardia (56 +/- 8 vs. 73 +/- 9 beats/min at sea level) which probably resulted from the slight hyperoxia (PI(O2), 0.4 atm). We found no evidence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. nor did we find valvular regurgitation or pulmonary hypertension. We conclude that Doppler-echocardiography can be used safely to investigate cardiac function during human saturation dives. Our results suggest that a 36 atm He-O2 dive does not modify cardiac or systolic and diastolic function except for a slight decrease in cardiac output correlated to bradycardia.