Trimix instead of air, decreases the effect of short-term hyperbaric exposures on platelet and fibrinolysis activation.
OBJECTIVE
Short-term and saturated simulated dives followed by decompression with air, cause a decrease in platelet count and increased activation of fibrinolysis. The aim of this study was to determine whether short-term dives with trimix as a breathing mixture induce the activation of platelets, and/or fibrinolysis.


METHODS
30 male divers were subjected to short-term hyperbaric exposures to 0.7 MPa. Thirty divers used air and then the same divers used trimix as a breathing mixture.


RESULTS
The mean platelet count dropped significantly after decompression only in the group breathing air. The number of CD62P positive platelets and the amount of platelet-derived micro particles were statistically significant higher after decompression in both exposures. The number of CD61 positive platelets increased significantly only in the group breathing air. We observed a significant decrease of factor XII and fibrinogen concentrations after decompression only in the group breathing air. A significant increase in the concentration of plasminantiplasmin complex in both groups was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Short-term hyperbaric exposure and decompression performed according to current safety standards activates platelets and the fibrinolytic system. Trimix protects divers from a reduction in the amount of platelets, fibrinogen and factor XII in the course of these exposures.
Military Institute of Health, Department of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Gdynia, Poland.
R
R
Olszanski
P
P
Radziwon
P
P
Siermontowski
A
A
Lipska
J
J
Laszczyńska
K
K
Van Damme-Ostapowicz
J
J
Korsak
M
M
Bujno
P
P
Gosk
J F
JF
Schenk
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000388:Air; D003665:Decompression Sickness; D004242:Diving / Q000502:physiology; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006371:Helium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D010976:Platelet Count; D055815:Young Adult
D006371:Helium; C045257:trimix; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen