title: Ascent rate and circulating venous bubbles in recreational diving.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the ascent rate on the production of venous circulating bubbles during the decompression following a recreational dive. Twenty-eight recreational divers performed two open water dives at 35 m during 25 minutes. Ascent rate up to the decompression stop was in one case 9 meter per minute (m/min) and in the other case 17 m/min. Circulating venous bubbles were screened using continuous wave Doppler every 10 minutes during one hour after surfacing. Bubbles Doppler signals were graded according to the Spencer scale (from 0 to IV), and the Kisman integrated severity score (KISS) was calculated. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significantly higher bubbles grade and a significantly higher KISS following the rapid decompression compared to the slow one (respectively p = 0.001 and p = 0.0001). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that a 9 m/min ascent rate is safer than a 17 m/min one.
authors.affiliation: UFR STAPS, Faculté de Luminy, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carturan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boussuges
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molenat
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burnet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fondarai
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gardette
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003664:Decompression; D004242:Diving / Q000502:physiology*; D005740:Gases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014680:Veins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005740:Gases