REPOET NUMBER 584 A DIVING CASUALTY SUGGESTING AN EPISODE OF THORACIC SQUEEZE: A Case Report

With the rapid development of skin, scuba, and saturation diving, the medical profession and established diving organizations have made a concerted effort to inform diving enthusiasts of the potential dangers one may encounter in the aquatic environment. However, the phenomenon of thoracic squeeze is only cursorily discussed in recognized diving texts, and a review of recent diving literature failed to disclose any recorded cases of this medical emergency. It was therefore deemed valuable to present the following case report and discussion, with the idea of informing the physician and diving supervisor of this potentially catastrophic diving problem. An unusual diving accident characterized by pulmonary congestion and edema, interstitial and intra-alveolar hemorrhage is described. The clinical course was marked by transient improvement and incomplete recovery; then, followed shortly thereafter by progression to a fatal outcome. The clinical and necropsy findings are discussed in relationship to the phenomenon of thoracic squeeze. A DIVING CASUALTY SUGGESTING AN EPISODE OF