What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed scientific articles published in 2017-2018 on diving medicine, found through a PubMed search and manual review of specific journals.
What They Found
The review highlighted four new articles on decompression modeling and new guidelines for prehospital treatment of decompression sickness. It also found that applying the Framingham risk score to commercial divers did not lead to many disqualifications, and divers with pre-existing conditions were common with seemingly few negative effects. One case study suggested sildenafil might help prevent immersion pulmonary edema in some athletes.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This review provides updated information on diving safety and health, which can help Canadian divers and their healthcare providers make informed decisions. The findings on decompression sickness treatment and fitness to dive, including for those with pre-existing conditions, could guide medical assessments for recreational and commercial divers in Canada. Understanding these updates may lead to safer diving practices and better management of diving-related health issues for Canadians.
Canadian Relevance
While this was not a Canadian study, it covers decompression sickness, which is a Health Canada-recognised indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a review article, this study summarizes existing research from a specific timeframe and does not present new primary data or direct clinical trials.