What Researchers Did
Researchers described the case of a 49-year-old male diver who developed severe neurological symptoms after a dive.
What They Found
The patient experienced paraparesis and urinary incontinence 10 minutes after surfacing. Initial treatment with an extended USN table 6 did not resolve symptoms. However, treatment with oxy-helium table CX-30 24 hours later led to marked improvement in gait, sensory, and motor function. An additional 10 hyperbaric oxygenation sessions resulted in complete restoration of urinary control and virtually complete sensory and motor recovery.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This case suggests that oxy-helium treatment, followed by additional hyperbaric oxygen therapy, could be a valuable option for Canadian patients experiencing severe neurological decompression sickness that does not respond to initial standard oxygen treatments. It offers a potential pathway for recovery of motor, sensory, and bladder function.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers decompression sickness, which is a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, this study's findings cannot be generalized to a larger patient population.