title: Can asthmatic subjects dive?
abstract: Recreational diving with self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) has grown in popularity. Asthma is a common disease with a similar prevalence in divers as in the general population. Due to theoretical concern about an increased risk for pulmonary barotrauma and decompression sickness in asthmatic divers, in the past the approach to asthmatic diver candidates was very conservative, with scuba disallowed. However, experience in the field and data in the current literature do not support this dogmatic approach. In this review the theoretical risk factors of diving with asthma, the epidemiological data and the recommended approach to the asthmatic diver candidate will be described.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Division, Lady Davis Carmel Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Technion, Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel adir-sh@zahav.net.il.
authors.forename: Yochai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adir
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Section, Dept of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Alfred A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bove
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003665:Decompression Sickness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004242:Diving / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000293:injuries; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors