title: Nitrogen partial pressures in man after decompression from simulated scuba dives.
abstract: In five subjects arterial and central venous nitrogen partial pressures (PN2) were measured after decompression from a chamber dive following a decompression schedule for scuba diving. The simulated dives consisted of exposure at rest to air at 6 bar for 30 min. corresponding to a depth of 50 m. Afterwards the subjects were decompressed with decompression stops at 2.5, 2.2, 1.9, 1.6 and 1.3 bar with a total decompression time of 73 min. Immediately after decompression and every 40 min. until the 240th min. arterial and central venous blood samples were analyzed for PN2 using a manometric Van Slyke apparatus. Venous PN2 remained elevated until 160 min. after decompression indicating still incomplete nitrogen wash-out at least two hours after decompression had been accomplished. Bubble formation is discussed as a cause for prolonged nitrogen elimination. Our data confirm that nitrogen elimination is prolonged after decompression from simulated dives at rest.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anaesthesiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, FRG.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Radermacher
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Santak
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Muth
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Falke
mesh_terms: D001158:Arteries; D003664:Decompression; D004242:Diving; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000097:blood*; D010313:Partial Pressure; D014680:Veins
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen