What Researchers Did
Researchers examined 11 cases of inner ear dysfunction in nine divers who experienced inner ear decompression illness.
What They Found
All nine divers (100%) were found to have a significant right-to-left shunt, as diagnosed by transcranial Doppler sonography. The authors suggested that intravascular bubble emboli might cause inner ear decompression illness, which could be more common in recreational divers than currently recognized. Failure to treat inner ear decompression illness with recompression therapy can result in permanent disability.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian divers experiencing inner ear symptoms after a dive should consider immediate recompression therapy. This prompt treatment is crucial because it can be difficult to distinguish between inner ear barotrauma and inner ear decompression illness, and delaying care can lead to lasting disability.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers decompression sickness, which is a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
The study's conclusions are based on a small number of cases, which may limit how broadly the findings can be applied to all divers.