Recompression Therapy

(See also Overview of Diving Injuries Overview of Diving Injuries People who engage in deep-sea or scuba diving are at risk of a number of injuries, most of which are caused by changes in pressure. These disorders also can affect people who work in underwater... read more .)

Recompression therapy has four effects on the blood that can be useful in treating diving injuries:

Among divers, recompression therapy is used most often for decompression sickness Decompression Sickness Decompression sickness is a disorder in which nitrogen dissolved in the blood and tissues by high pressure forms bubbles as pressure decreases. Symptoms can include fatigue and pain in muscles... read more and arterial gas embolism Arterial Gas Embolism Arterial gas embolism is blockage of blood supply to organs caused by bubbles in an artery. It is a leading cause of death among underwater divers, such as scuba divers, who breathe compressed... read more , but it also may be used to treat carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Problems during diving can result from toxic effects of gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. (See also Overview of Diving Injuries.) Air is a mixture of gases... read more .

Treatment in a hyperbaric chamber with oxygen therapy is often referred to as hyperbaric oxygen therapy when it is given primarily to administer high concentrations of oxygen rather than to treat decompression sickness or arterial gas embolism. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used for several disorders unrelated to diving.

The sooner recompression therapy for decompression sickness is begun, the better the result is likely to be. However, recompression may be helpful even if started up to several days after surfacing. Some chambers have room for more than one person and some have room for only one. Treatments are usually given once or twice daily for up to 300 minutes. Most often, 100% oxygen is given at 2.5 to 3 atmospheres of pressure Underwater pressure People who engage in deep-sea or scuba diving are at risk of a number of injuries, most of which are caused by changes in pressure. These disorders also can affect people who work in underwater... read more .

During pregnancy a single recompression treatment for an acute illness such as decompression sickness Decompression Sickness Decompression sickness is a disorder in which nitrogen dissolved in the blood and tissues by high pressure forms bubbles as pressure decreases. Symptoms can include fatigue and pain in muscles... read more or carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Problems during diving can result from toxic effects of gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. (See also Overview of Diving Injuries.) Air is a mixture of gases... read more is generally considered safe. However, multiple hyperbaric oxygen treatments are usually avoided during pregnancy because of possible harmful effects of high oxygen concentrations on the fetus. Recompression therapy can cause problems similar to those that occur with barotrauma Barotrauma Barotrauma is tissue injury caused by a change in pressure, which compresses or expands gas contained in various body structures. The lungs, gastrointestinal tract, part of the face covered... read more . It can also cause temporary nearsightedness, low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), or rarely, toxic effects on the lungs or seizures.

People with a collapsed lung (pneumothorax Pneumothorax A pneumothorax is the presence of air between the two layers of pleura (thin, transparent, two-layered membrane that covers the lungs and also lines the inside of the chest wall), resulting... read more ) may require a chest tube (thoracostomy) Chest Tube Insertion Chest tube insertion (also called tube thoracostomy) is a procedure in which a tube is inserted into the space between the lung and chest wall (called the pleural space). The procedure is done... read more before recompression therapy.

Information regarding the location of the nearest recompression chamber, the most rapid means of reaching it, and the most appropriate source to consult by telephone should be known by most divers. Such information is also available from the Divers Alert Network (919-684-9111) or Duke Dive Medicine (919-684-8111) 24 hours per day.