Original Article
Spinal Cord (2008) 46, 743–747; doi:10.1038/sc.2008.44; published online 13 May 2008
Venous gas bubble formation and decompression risk after scuba diving in persons with chronic spinal cord injury and able-bodied controls
T Breskovic1, P Denoble2, I Palada1, A Obad1, Z Valic1, D Glavas3, D Bakovic1 and Z Dujic1
- 1Department of Physiology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
- 2Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- 3Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Split, Split, Croatia
Correspondence: Professor Z Dujic, Department of Physiology, University of Split School of Medicine, Soltanska 2, Split 21000, Croatia. E-mail: zdujic@bsb.mefst.hr
Received 30 November 2007; Revised 25 March 2008; Accepted 26 March 2008; Published online 13 May 2008.
Abstract
Study design:
Prospective study.
Objective:
To evaluate the formation of venous gas bubbles following open-sea scuba dives in persons with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) and in able-bodied diving instructors (C) and to assess the risk for decompression sickness (DCS).
Setting:
Field study at the Island of Krk, Croatia.
Methods:
Gas bubbles were monitored with an ultrasound scanner 40 min after surfacing. The probability of DCS (P(DCS)) was estimated from the recorded depth-time profile using a decompression model.
Results:
Divers completed six dives in 3 days using a modified Bühlmann decompression model, and none developed signs of DCS. Mean P(DCS) was similar in both groups, SCI (0.51
0.2%) and C (0.640.27%), and was seen to increase with subsequent dives. Number of bubbles (bubbles per cm2) was low in both groups on all 3 days of diving.
Conclusions:
We have used the P(DCS) as a severity index of diving exposure. Overall, the severity of exposure in SCI subjects was consistent with the range of typical recreational dives, suggesting that the diving profile used is very safe.
Keywords:
safe diving, decompression sickness, Doppler ultrasound
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated
RESEARCH
Cerebro-spinal decompression sickness: report of two cases
Spinal Cord Correspondence
Latent Viruses in Chimpanzees with Experimental Kuru
Nature Article (04 Nov 1967)
Ultrasonic Surveillance of Subatmospheric Decompression
Nature Letters to Editor (21 Dec 1973)
Pathology Whales, sonar and decompression sickness
Nature Brief Communication (15 Apr 2004)
