What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed 306 diving injury cases treated at a hyperbaric centre in Townsville, Australia between 2003 and 2018, examining how disease severity and time to treatment affected patient outcomes.
What They Found
Most divers (70%) had mild initial disease severity, and 93% achieved a good outcome, meaning no or only minor lingering symptoms. Median time from injury to HBOT was 38 hours and 51 minutes. Higher initial disease severity was the only factor significantly linked to worse outcomes; sicker patients also received care faster. No treated diver died.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Decompression sickness affects recreational and commercial divers in Canada, particularly in BC and Atlantic coast waters. This study reinforces that even with delayed HBOT access, which is a reality in remote Canadian regions, most divers still recover well. However, severe cases should be transported to the nearest HBOT facility as quickly as possible.
Canadian Relevance
This study has a Canadian co-author (Pollock N, listed as Canadian: Yes). Decompression sickness is an OHIP-covered HBOT indication in Ontario.
Study Limitations
The retrospective design and long study period (15 years) mean that changes in treatment protocols over time may affect the reliability of comparisons.