Additional pressurisation for treating nonresponding cases of serious air decompression sickness.
In this study, 20 years of decompression sickness (DCS) treatment records were reviewed to establish whether or not compression to 50m (165 fsw) was a useful response to serious DCS cases which failed to respond satisfactorily at 18m (60 fsw) breathing oxygen. It was concluded from 14 cases that further compression rarely altered the recovery of cases which were not already recovering at 18m or were of a relatively mild nature. The only case with motor deficits to recover at 50m later relapsed. In general, cases without motor deficits were more likely to be cured, and then only slowly. The only real justification for compression to 50m is rapid deterioration at 18m. This does not guarantee to stop or prevent deterioration as four cases of deterioration at 50m are reported. Nine cases of compression beyond 50m to as deep as 76m (250 fsw) on air are reported with the conclusion that it provides little or no benefit.
D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000628:therapy*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D009326:Naval Medicine; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy
D003907:Dexamethasone