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...

BACKGROUND This article reports the side effects observed in a double-blind placebo-controlled multi-center randomized clinical trial carried out to assess the efficacy and safety of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy in children with cerebral palsy. Intention-to-treat analysis did not prove to have a beneficial effect. MATERIAL AND METHODS 111 children aged 3 to 12 years were included and foll...

We present the case of a scuba diver who experienced acute ear pain during ascent from a dive. CT imaging was performed because of severe unrelenting headache. Blood and gas was identified within the epidural space of the middle fossa and over the petrous bone, as well as hemorrhage within the adjacent temporal lobe. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of CT-documented barotrau...

Audiometric survey and endoscopic study of the external auditory canal were performed on a group of 31 professional divers, all of whom had experienced frequent exposure to dysbaric conditions. The results are as follows. 1) Over 40% had exostosis of the external auditory canal. There was no relationship between the incidence of the exostosis and the length of their occupational career as a div...

Experimental middle ear barotrauma was studied morphologically. White guinea pigs were placed in an experimental hyperbaric chamber, and middle ear barotrauma was created by increasing the pressure in the hyperbaric chamber from 1 atmosphere absolute (ATA) to 2 ATA using pure oxygen, maintaining the pressure at 2 ATA for 10 minutes, then again reducing the pressure to 1 ATA. Selected experiment...

Morvan J-B, Gempp E, Rivière D, Louge P, Vallee P, Verdalle P. Perilymphatic fistula after underwater diving: a series of 11 cases. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. 2016 June;46(2):72-75.) Introduction: Onset of cochleovestibular symptoms (hearing loss, dizziness or instability, tinnitus) after a dive (scuba or breath-hold diving) warrants emergency transfer to an otology department. One priorit...

This case elucidates subtle cues that must be appreciated by the examiner in diving related injuries, who may not have experience with barotrauma-mediated pathology. Inner-ear barotrauma (IEBT) does not mandate ostensible hearing loss or vertigo; tinnitus may be the sole manifestation. Symptoms may present hours or even days post-dive. A common misconception exists that there are no efficacious...