View clinical trials related to Decompression Sickness.
Filter by:Primary objective: - Assessment of venous gas emboli load post diving when breathing normobaric oxygen compared to air. Secondary objective: - Assessment of fluid markers of central nervous system injury in blood post diving - Assessment of fluid markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in blood post diving Tertiary objective: - Assessment of DCS frequency
The investigators will prospectively estimate incidences of decompression sickness in SCUBA divers with or without patent foramen ovale (PFO). All participants will receive transesophageal echocardiogram and transcranial doppler to ascertain whether they get a PFO. Clinical follow up will be undertaken 3 month after transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation, and every 6 month up to 3 years by E-mailing or telephone interview with self-questionnaire report. All decompression sickness (DC) events or DC-like symptoms will be reviewed by a professional diver, who is a medical doctor and member of DAN-AP, and a neurologist.
Decompression sickness syndrome (DCS) is caused by microbubbles forming in blood vessels or tissues during a reduction in environmental pressure (decompression). Bubbles have mechanical, embolic and biochemical effects with manifestations ranging from none to fatal. By reducing bubble volume and hastening inert gas elimination, recompression therapy with hyperbaric treatment remains the main therapy for DCS. The most common hyperbaric protocol used, is based on US Navy Treatment table 6, started as early as possible after surfacing. The outcome of hyperbaric therapy varies with reported complete resolution in 13%-63% of the patients suffering from severe DCS, and in 73%-100% of the patients with mild-moderate DCS. The significance of time to recompression is controversial. It has been suggested that early hyperbaric treatment improves the outcome by decreasing bubble size and avoiding further tissue injury. However, in recent studies time to recompression had very little effect on clinical recovery. Moreover, the time beyond which hyperbaric treatment isn't effective has not been determined yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of delayed hyperbaric treatment to divers who referred to tertiary care hospital hyperbaric unit, more than 48 hours after surfacing. The clinical outcome of the delayed hyperbaric treatments was compared to early treatments given at the same hyperbaric unit.
SCUBA diving frequently involves repetitive exposures over multiple days. The goal of this study was to see how exercise impacts microparticles (MPs), endothelial function, and venous gas emboli (VGE) over a series of dives. 16 divers in 2 groups each completed 6 dives. One group completed 3 control dives followed by 5 days rest then 3 dives preceded by exercise. The other group completed the opposite protocol. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) data and blood for MP analysis was collected before and after each dive. VGE were monitored via transthoracic echocardiography 30, 60, and 90 min after surfacing. Exercise before diving consisted of 60 min running outdoors including 8x4 min intervals at 90% VO2max effort.
The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of high intensity,anaerobic exercise, in the form of cycling, on SCUBA diving. Outcomes are determined by the quantification and subtype of circulating microparticles, complete blood counts, and the quantification of venous gas emboli, measured via transthoracic echocardiography, in the cardiac cavities.
The investigators hypothesize that membrane microparticles (MPs) are liberated into the blood stream in response to decompression stress and that certain MPs characteristics initiate inflammatory responses that contribute to the clinical syndrome the investigators call decompression sickness. The research goal is to evaluate the number, type and time-course for elevations in MPs in sport SCUBA divers who present for treatment of decompression sickness. Blood samples are to be taken from consenting patients before and after they undergo treatment for decompression sickness and at a follow-up clinic visit from 1 to 3 weeks later (three samples total).