Scuba diving emergencies: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:25, 10 February 2015

Results from pulmonary barotrauma (most common) and decompression sickness
Symptoms develop during ascent or immediately upon surfacing
Causes variety of stroke syndromes depending on part of brain affected
- Immediate death, loss of consciousness, seizure, blindness, hemiplegia

Tintinalli

Authors:

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 {{Scuba diving DDX}}
-===[[Decompression sickness]] (DCS)===
-*Dissolved inert gases come out of solution and form bubbles in blood and tissue
-====Types====
-=====Type I (Pain only DCS)=====
-*Involves the joints, extremities, and skin ("cutis marmorata")
-*Usually only single joint is involved
-=====Type II (Serious DCS)=====
-*Spinal cord involvement
-**Ascending paralysis
-**Signs often cannot be traced to single location in the cord (may have skip lesions)
-*Vestibular ("staggers") involvment
-**Vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus
-***Differentiated from inner ear barotrauma which usually occurs on descent
-*Pulmonary "chokes"
-**Cough, hemoptysis, dyspnea, substernal chest pain
-=====Type III (Type II + gas embolism)=====
-*Variety of stroke symptoms/signs
-**May spontaneously resolve
 ===[[Arterial gas embolism===