What Researchers Did
Norwegian researchers performed a systematic review of 29 studies to assess whether repeated daily diving or hyperbaric exposure reduces the risk of decompression sickness, a phenomenon called acclimatization.
What They Found
Three epidemiological studies found statistically significant acclimatization to DCS in compressed-air workers over multiple days. Animal studies across six species confirmed the effect. Evidence for acclimatization reducing venous gas embolism in humans was inconsistent, with four studies supporting it and eight finding no significant effect.
Canadian Relevance
Decompression sickness is an OHIP-covered emergency indication for HBOT. Canadian commercial and recreational divers benefit from better understanding of DCS risk factors, including how repeated diving may modulate that risk.
Study Limitations
Study heterogeneity in diving protocols, populations, and outcome definitions makes direct comparison difficult, and the optimal acclimatization schedule to reduce DCS risk in practice remains undefined.