Neurologic Complications of Scuba Diving -- American Family Physician
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چکیده
www.aafp.org/afp AMERICAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN 2211 Dive-Related Barotrauma During descent and ascent in the water, the diver is constantly exposed to alterations of ambient pressure. Barotrauma refers to tissue damage that occurs when a gas-filled body space (e.g., lungs, middle ear) fails to equalize its internal pressure to accommodate changes in ambient pressure. The behavior of gasses at depth is governed by Boyle’s law: the volume of a gas varies inversely with pressure. During descent, as ambient pressure increases, the volume of gas-filled spaces decreases unless internal pressure is equalized. If the pressure is not equalized by a larger volume of gas, the space will be filled by tissue engorged with fluid and blood. This process underlies the common “squeezes” of descent that affect the middle ear, external auditory canal, mask, sinuses and teeth.
منابع مشابه
Neurologic injuries from scuba diving.
Interest in scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving increased in the 1970s, and undersea diving continues to be a popular sport early in the 21st century, with approximately 3 million certified divers in the United States. The Divers Alert Network (DAN), an institution created in 1981 by the Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has collected...
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