title: [Decompression illness: minor symptoms, major consequences].
abstract: Nowadays, diving is being performed ever more frequently; it is thus important to take diving injuries into consideration in patients presenting with even minor complaints after diving. Every dive is risky and could result in decompression illness, barotrauma and/or death. We report on two cases of decompression illness: a 30-year old man, an occupational diver, and a 46-year old man, an experienced diver, who were both clinically suspected of having decompression illness and were treated with hyperbaric oxygen in a recompression chamber. Both were eventually symptom-free after several treatments. Decompression illness is caused by a reduction in ambient pressure, which results in intra- or extravascular bubbles. Symptoms vary and are dependent on the site affected: from minor pain to neurological symptoms and death. If patients are suspected of having diving injuries, we recommend contacting a centre specialised in diving and hyperbaric medicine. Recompression in a hyperbaric chamber is the definitive treatment for decompression illness and should be performed as soon as possible.
authors.affiliation: Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Afd. Cardiologie, Utrecht, the Netherlands. jgho@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: J M I H Ing Han
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gho
authors.forename: Irene Fleur
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Rob A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: van Hulst
authors.forename: William L M
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001469:Barotrauma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004242:Diving / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome