What Researchers Did
Researchers observed venous gas emboli (VGE) in divers with and without a history of decompression sickness (DCS) following a controlled 405 kPa air dive in a hyperbaric chamber using the DCIEM air decompression table.
What They Found
The study compared 11 divers with a history of DCS to 13 divers without. Divers who had experienced DCS showed both a higher maximum grade (P=0.04) and a longer duration (P=0.002) of VGE production after decompression. These findings suggest a link between increased VGE and a history of DCS, particularly musculoskeletal DCS.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This research indicates that some individuals may be inherently more prone to developing VGE, which increases their risk of decompression sickness. For Canadian divers, understanding their individual susceptibility through VGE monitoring could lead to personalized adjustments in diving practices, potentially reducing their risk of DCS.
Canadian Relevance
Decompression sickness is a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This study used the DCIEM (Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine) air decompression table, a standard developed in Canada.
Study Limitations
The study involved a relatively small number of participants, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.