Complete Resolution of Severe Decompression Sickness in a Diver Following Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report
Decompression sickness (DCS) is a rare but serious risk for divers, characterized by the formation of inert gas bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues due to rapid decompression. This case report highlights a 25-year-old male recreational diver who developed type 2 DCS, presenting with neurological...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Tehran University of Medical Sciences
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Archives of Anesthesia and Critical Care |
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| Online Access: | https://aacc.tums.ac.ir/index.php/aacc/article/view/1089 |
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| author | Dominikus Evano Putra Eddy Zulfikar Usamah Usamah |
| author_facet | Dominikus Evano Putra Eddy Zulfikar Usamah Usamah |
| author_sort | Dominikus Evano Putra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Decompression sickness (DCS) is a rare but serious risk for divers, characterized by the formation of inert gas bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues due to rapid decompression. This case report highlights a 25-year-old male recreational diver who developed type 2 DCS, presenting with neurological and pulmonary symptoms following a dive. Upon admission to the emergency department, the patient presented with severe shortness of breath, accompanied by nausea, dizziness, numbness and tingling sensations throughout the body, and joint and muscle pain. Physical examination revealed signs of respiratory distress, bilateral upper and lower limb spasticity resembling decorticate posturing, notable hypertonia, and generalized paresthesia. Despite the absence of a hyperbaric chamber facility, the patient was successfully treated with 100% normobaric oxygen (via a Jackson-Rees circuit) and adjunctive medications, including intravenous fluids, dexamethasone, fentanyl, and midazolam, resulting in rapid symptom resolution. The patient was discharged without residual symptoms and remained symptom-free at the one-month follow-up. This case underscores the importance of recognizing DCS and demonstrates that 100% normobaric oxygen therapy and corticosteroids can be effective in treating DCS when a hyperbaric chamber is unavailable.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7d2f2f60a2724c7eae246421e0c4c316 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2423-5849 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Tehran University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Archives of Anesthesia and Critical Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-7d2f2f60a2724c7eae246421e0c4c3162025-08-20T03:49:03ZengTehran University of Medical SciencesArchives of Anesthesia and Critical Care2423-58492025-01-0111310.18502/aacc.v11i3.18509Complete Resolution of Severe Decompression Sickness in a Diver Following Oxygen Therapy: A Case ReportDominikus Evano Putra0Eddy Zulfikar1Usamah Usamah2Wakatobi Regional Public Hospital, Wakatobi Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.Wakatobi Regional Public Hospital, Wakatobi Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.Wakatobi Regional Public Hospital, Wakatobi Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. & Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga – Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia.Decompression sickness (DCS) is a rare but serious risk for divers, characterized by the formation of inert gas bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues due to rapid decompression. This case report highlights a 25-year-old male recreational diver who developed type 2 DCS, presenting with neurological and pulmonary symptoms following a dive. Upon admission to the emergency department, the patient presented with severe shortness of breath, accompanied by nausea, dizziness, numbness and tingling sensations throughout the body, and joint and muscle pain. Physical examination revealed signs of respiratory distress, bilateral upper and lower limb spasticity resembling decorticate posturing, notable hypertonia, and generalized paresthesia. Despite the absence of a hyperbaric chamber facility, the patient was successfully treated with 100% normobaric oxygen (via a Jackson-Rees circuit) and adjunctive medications, including intravenous fluids, dexamethasone, fentanyl, and midazolam, resulting in rapid symptom resolution. The patient was discharged without residual symptoms and remained symptom-free at the one-month follow-up. This case underscores the importance of recognizing DCS and demonstrates that 100% normobaric oxygen therapy and corticosteroids can be effective in treating DCS when a hyperbaric chamber is unavailable. https://aacc.tums.ac.ir/index.php/aacc/article/view/1089decompression sicknessoxygen therapycorticosteroiddiver |
| spellingShingle | Dominikus Evano Putra Eddy Zulfikar Usamah Usamah Complete Resolution of Severe Decompression Sickness in a Diver Following Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report Archives of Anesthesia and Critical Care decompression sickness oxygen therapy corticosteroid diver |
| title | Complete Resolution of Severe Decompression Sickness in a Diver Following Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report |
| title_full | Complete Resolution of Severe Decompression Sickness in a Diver Following Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report |
| title_fullStr | Complete Resolution of Severe Decompression Sickness in a Diver Following Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Complete Resolution of Severe Decompression Sickness in a Diver Following Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report |
| title_short | Complete Resolution of Severe Decompression Sickness in a Diver Following Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report |
| title_sort | complete resolution of severe decompression sickness in a diver following oxygen therapy a case report |
| topic | decompression sickness oxygen therapy corticosteroid diver |
| url | https://aacc.tums.ac.ir/index.php/aacc/article/view/1089 |
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