Recompression treatment of Red Sea diving accidents: a 23-year summary.
OBJECTIVE
The growing popularity of diving sport has resulted in more diving accidents. Our objective was to characterize Red Sea divers requiring recompression treatment in Eilat, to recognize 23-year trends of diving accidents, and to facilitate appropriate administrative and treatment tools for diving accident in this area.


METHODS
Retrospective, uncontrolled study.


METHODS
Recompression unit at a Red Sea medical center.


METHODS
Charts of all divers treated at Eilat's recompression chamber from October 1976 to December 1999 were reviewed.


METHODS
Recompression treatment.


RESULTS
During this period, annual crude numbers increased 5-fold, and a total of 453 patients were treated. Of them, 68% were Israelis and 32% tourists; 76% were males and 23% females; and 21.6% were diving buddies of injured divers (omitted decompression). The mean diving depth causing the accident was 30.2 +/- 13.1 m, and >50% of accidents occurred between 11 and 30 m. Over 42% suffered from decompression sickness (DCS) type 2, 26% from DCS type 1, and 7% from barotraumas. Women, unlike men, presented predominantly DCS type 2 (54% vs. 39%; P = 0.01) and sustained DCS at shallower waters (25.2 +/- 9.1 m) than men (31.8 +/- 13.8 m; P < 0.0001). Primarily, treatment followed recompression in alternating cycles of oxygen and air as stipulated in US Navy Tables 5 (18.1%) and 6 (37.5%). The 48-hour case fatality rate was 0.09%.


CONCLUSIONS
This large survey of open sea diving accidents accentuated the need for a national registry of diving accidents and a national database of diving activities.
Unit for Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. racheld@gertner.health.gov.il
Rachel
R
Dankner
Nahum
N
Gall
Gabriel
G
Freidman
Jacob
J
Arad
D000328:Adult; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004242:Diving / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019156:Indian Ocean; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies