What Researchers Did
A single case report described a recreational diver who developed visual blurring and abdominal pain after two deep air dives, leading to the incidental discovery of gas bubbles in his abdominal veins via CT scan.
What They Found
Researchers found gas bubbles in the inferior vena cava (IVC) and portal veins of the diver's abdomen using a CT scan. The diver was treated for decompression sickness (DCS) with a US Navy Treatment Table 6. This treatment led to a complete resolution of his symptoms.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This case suggests that a CT scan could potentially provide objective evidence of venous gas emboli in divers experiencing symptoms like abdominal pain, helping to confirm a diagnosis of decompression sickness. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, specifically a US Navy Treatment Table 6, was effective in fully resolving the patient's symptoms.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted by Canadian authors or in Canada. However, decompression sickness is a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, these findings cannot be broadly applied to all divers, and routine CT for bubble detection is not recommended.