Decompression sickness and scuba diving

July 24, 2024

Decompression sickness involves issues with gases in the body when there is a change in pressure in the environment, such as when surfacing from scuba diving. As such, a recent review paper looked at the effect of carbon dioxide levels on decompression sickness. The review paper found evidence that exposure to high levels of carbon dioxide, before or while in low pressure conditions, can lead to decompression sickness. Based on this evidence, the researchers suggest that providing oxygen and carbon dioxide breathing mixtures to scuba divers after they surface may help prevent decompression sickness. However, more research is required to get to the bottom of this topic.

To read the full article, visit the Diving & Hyperbaric Medicine:

https://www.dhmjournal.com/index.php/journals?view=article&id=337

To learn more about scuba diving injuries, visit the following Active and Safe webpages:

Scuba diving: https://activesafe.ca/scuba/