Cases from the Aerospace Medicine Resident's Teaching File: unsuspected pulmonary barotrauma.
A USAF pararescue specialist developed chest pain during scuba diving duty. Initial evaluations considered decompression sickness and musculoskeletal etiologies. Pulmonary barotrauma was not contemplated because of the relatively mild presentation. Later, a very significant pneumothorax was discovered and successfully treated without sequelae. Decompression sickness is briefly discussed followed by a more in-depth examination of the presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and aeromedical aspects of spontaneous and "deserved" pneumothoraces.
Butler
W P
WP
School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, TX, USA.
D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004242:Diving / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D018700:Pleurodesis; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013907:Thoracostomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014481:United States