What Researchers Did
Researchers looked at how well the U.S. Navy's treatment guide worked for people with pain-only decompression sickness.
What They Found
Out of 292 cases of pain-only decompression sickness, 208 were treated with USN Treatment Table 5 (TT-5) and 84 with USN Treatment Table 6 (TT-6). Symptoms returned in 4.3% of cases after TT-5 and 3.6% after TT-6, with no significant difference between tables. Overall, the U.S. Navy treatment algorithm had a 95.9% success rate.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients experiencing pain-only decompression sickness, this study suggests that following a specific treatment algorithm, potentially including shorter hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocols like TT-5, can be highly effective. This information could help guide treatment decisions for divers and others at risk of DCS in Canada.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers decompression sickness, which is a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
This study is based on retrospective data from U.S. Navy logs collected between 1976 and 1986, which may not fully reflect current treatment practices or diverse patient populations.