Relation Between Right-to-Left Shunts and Spinal Cord Decompression Sickness in Divers

Relationship between right-to-left shunts and cutaneous decompression illness.

The presence of a large right-to-left shunt is associated with neurological decompression illness after non-provocative dives, as a result of paradoxical gas embolism. A small number of observations suggest that cutaneous decompression illness is also associated with a right-to-left shunt, although an embolic aetiology of a diffuse rash is more difficult to explain. We performed a retrospective...

Risk factors and treatment outcome in scuba divers with spinal cord decompression sickness.

PURPOSE This study was designed to determine the recompression strategy and the potential risk factors associated with the development of severe diving-related spinal cord decompression sickness (DCS). MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty-three injured recreational divers (52 men and 11 women; 46 +/- 12 years) presenting with symptoms of spinal involvement were retrospectively included. Diving informat...

MRI findings and clinical outcome in 45 divers with spinal cord decompression sickness.

BACKGROUND Decompression sickness (DCS) affecting the spinal cord is the most dangerous form of diving-related injury with potential sequelae. This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between spinal cord lesions on MRI and clinical findings in divers with spinal DCS. METHODS We studied 45 cases of DCS that were referred to our hyperbaric facility with clinical evidence of spinal ...

Decompression sickness in urban divers in France.

BACKGROUND Decompression sickness (DCS) can occur in SCUBA divers. DCS is treated with oxygen, preferably given under hyperbaric conditions. Although Paris (France) is located at a distance from the sea or lakes, some injured divers require hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in this city, sometimes within a specific time frame. Thus, this study investigated the epidemiology and outcomes of such...

Spinal cord decompression sickness after standard U.S. Navy air decompression.