Additional pressurisation for treating nonresponding cases of serious air decompression sickness

In this study, 20 years of decompression sickness (DCS) treatment records were reviewed to establish whether or not compression to 50m (165 fsw) was a useful response to serious DCS cases which failed to respond satisfactorily at 18m (60 fsw) breathing oxygen. It was concluded from 14 cases that fur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAviation, space, and environmental medicine Vol. 56; no. 12; p. 1139
Main Authors Leitch, D R, Green, R D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.12.1985
Subjects
Atmospheric Pressure
Combined Modality Therapy
Decompression Sickness - therapy
Dexamethasone - therapeutic use
Embolism, Air - therapy
Humans
Military Personnel
Naval Medicine
Oxygen Inhalation Therapy
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Summary:In this study, 20 years of decompression sickness (DCS) treatment records were reviewed to establish whether or not compression to 50m (165 fsw) was a useful response to serious DCS cases which failed to respond satisfactorily at 18m (60 fsw) breathing oxygen. It was concluded from 14 cases that further compression rarely altered the recovery of cases which were not already recovering at 18m or were of a relatively mild nature. The only case with motor deficits to recover at 50m later relapsed. In general, cases without motor deficits were more likely to be cured, and then only slowly. The only real justification for compression to 50m is rapid deterioration at 18m. This does not guarantee to stop or prevent deterioration as four cases of deterioration at 50m are reported. Nine cases of compression beyond 50m to as deep as 76m (250 fsw) on air are reported with the conclusion that it provides little or no benefit.
ISSN:0095-6562