What Researchers Did
Researchers reported on the treatment outcomes of 20 scuba divers with spinal cord decompression sickness between 1969 and 1984.
What They Found
Researchers found that among 20 scuba divers with spinal cord decompression sickness, 12 received early recompression, resulting in successful outcomes for 11 patients, including improvement in 7 paraplegic individuals. For 9 patients receiving late treatment, 3 with mild symptoms fully recovered, and all 6 paraplegic patients showed considerable improvement.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian divers experiencing spinal cord decompression sickness may benefit significantly from early recompression therapy. Even if treatment is delayed, repeated hyperbaric oxygen exposures could still lead to considerable neurological improvement.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted in Switzerland and involved divers in a Swiss lake.
Study Limitations
The study is limited by its small sample size of 20 patients and its retrospective nature, lacking a control group for comparison.