What Researchers Did
Researchers looked back at cases of altitude decompression sickness in Israeli Air Force personnel who underwent altitude chamber training or combat flights between 2015 and 2022.
What They Found
Out of 2279 altitude chamber trainees, 11 developed altitude decompression sickness (ADCS), a risk of 0.5%. Four additional cases were reported following combat flights. Musculoskeletal symptoms were the most common manifestation in both ADCS and decompression sickness in divers, and a shorter hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) protocol was used for 53% of ADCS cases compared to 30% of diver cases.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers decompression sickness, a Health Canada-recognised indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. No direct Canadian connection or authors were identified.
Study Limitations
The study was retrospective, relied on a small number of altitude decompression sickness cases, and compared its findings to diver decompression sickness data from a literature review rather than a direct, concurrent study.