What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on a 52-year-old Japanese professional diver who developed acute kidney injury following decompression illness.
What They Found
The patient presented with dyspnea, chest and abdominal pain after diving, and developed anuria for 36 hours with acute kidney injury. Serum creatinine peaked at 6.16 mg/dL and creatine kinase at 18,963 U/L, requiring temporary dialysis. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and dialysis successfully resolved his symptoms and normalized kidney function by day 11.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This case highlights the importance of considering acute kidney injury as a rare but serious complication of decompression illness in divers. Prompt diagnosis and treatment, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy and temporary dialysis, can lead to successful recovery for Canadian patients experiencing similar symptoms.
Canadian Relevance
This study describes a case from Japan and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, the findings of this study may not be generalizable to all patients with decompression illness and acute kidney injury.