Biomaterial Database

Descriptive epidemiological analysis of diving accidents in Hawaii from 1983 to 2001. 2003

Harumi Nakayama, and Richard W Smerz

UH, Dept. of Physiology, 1960 East-West Rd., Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. oceanhami@hotmail.com

The Hyperbaric Treatment Center (HTC) at the University of Hawaii, has evaluated and treated over 1100 divers for dysbaric disease from 1983 to 2001. We describe some epidemiological parameters and compare trends between local residents and tourist divers in this article. Data obtained from this review were analyzed for age, gender, type of injury and resident status. While trends in Hawaii have mirrored national figures, we did determine that there were some significant differences between resident and tourist divers' patterns of injury over this period of time.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D012111	Residence Characteristics	Elements of residence that characterize a population. They are applicable in determining need for and utilization of health services.	Community,Domicile,Living Arrangements,Neighborhood,Place of Birth,Residential Selection,Arrangement, Living,Birth Place,Communities,Domiciles,Living Arrangement,Neighborhoods,Residence Characteristic
D003665	Decompression Sickness	A condition occurring as a result of exposure to a rapid fall in ambient pressure. Gases, nitrogen in particular, come out of solution and form bubbles in body fluid and blood. These gas bubbles accumulate in joint spaces and the peripheral circulation impairing tissue oxygenation causing disorientation, severe pain, and potentially death.	Bends,Caisson Disease,Caisson Diseases,Disease, Caisson,Diseases, Caisson,Sickness, Decompression
D004242	Diving	An activity in which the organism plunges into water. It includes scuba and bell diving. Diving as natural behavior of animals goes here, as well as diving in decompression experiments with humans or animals.	Divings
D004618	Embolism, Air	Blocking of a blood vessel by air bubbles that enter the circulatory system, usually after TRAUMA; surgical procedures, or changes in atmospheric pressure.	Air Embolism,Embolism, Gas,Air Embolisms,Embolisms, Air,Embolisms, Gas,Gas Embolism,Gas Embolisms
D005260	Female		Females
D006254	Hawaii	A group of islands in Polynesia, in the north central Pacific Ocean, comprising eight major and 114 minor islands, largely volcanic and coral. Its capital is Honolulu. It was first reached by Polynesians about 500 A.D. It was discovered and named the Sandwich Islands in 1778 by Captain Cook. The islands were united under the rule of King Kamehameha 1795-1819 and requested annexation to the United States in 1893 when a provisional government was set up. Hawaii was established as a territory in 1900 and admitted as a state in 1959. The name is from the Polynesian Owhyhii, place of the gods, with reference to the two volcanoes Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, regarded as the abode of the gods. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p493 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p2330)	Midway Island,Midway Islands
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D017677	Age Distribution	The frequency of different ages or age groups in a given population. The distribution may refer to either how many or what proportion of the group. The population is usually patients with a specific disease but the concept is not restricted to humans and is not restricted to medicine.	Age Distributions,Distribution, Age,Distributions, Age
D017678	Sex Distribution	The number of males and females in a given population. The distribution may refer to how many men or women or what proportion of either in the group. The population is usually patients with a specific disease but the concept is not restricted to humans and is not restricted to medicine.	Distribution, Sex,Distributions, Sex,Sex Distributions