What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed charts of 37 patients treated for decompression sickness (DCS) between April 2007 and September 2011, specifically noting the presence of portal venous gas on CT scans in a subset of these patients.
What They Found
Among 37 patients with DCS, 9 underwent CT scans, and 4 of these 9 patients (44%) were incidentally found to have portal venous gas. All four patients were male, with three being SCUBA divers, and in three cases, the gas resolved after hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients experiencing decompression sickness, the presence of portal venous gas on a CT scan may not be an uncommon finding, particularly if abdominal imaging is performed. This finding often resolves with standard hyperbaric oxygen therapy, suggesting it may not always indicate severe complications.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted in Japan.
Study Limitations
The study's main limitation is its retrospective design and small sample size, particularly for the subset of patients who underwent CT imaging.