Biomaterial Database

Scuba diving accidents. 1977

M L Dembert

The principal scuba diving medical problems of barotrauma, air embolism and decompression sickness have as their pathophysiologic basis the Ideal Gas Law and Boyle's Law. Hyperbaric chamber recompression therapy is the only definitive treatment of air embolism and decompression sickness. However, with a basic knowledge of diving medicine, the family physician can provide effective supportive care to the patient prior to initiation of hyperbaric therapy.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010825	Physics	The study of those aspects of energy and matter in terms of elementary principles and laws. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Physic
D011312	Pressure	A type of stress exerted uniformly in all directions. Its measure is the force exerted per unit area. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Pressures
D002542	Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis	Embolism or thrombosis involving blood vessels which supply intracranial structures. Emboli may originate from extracranial or intracranial sources. Thrombosis may occur in arterial or venous structures.	Brain Embolism and Thrombosis,Cerebral Embolism and Thrombosis,Embolism and Thrombosis, Brain
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
D004427	Ear Diseases	Pathological processes of the ear, the hearing, and the equilibrium system of the body.	Otologic Diseases,Otological Diseases,Disease, Ear,Disease, Otologic,Disease, Otological,Ear Disease,Otologic Disease,Otological Disease
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
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000059	Accidents	Unexpected and unintentional events, typically resulting in ACCIDENTAL INJURIES.	Accident
D013178	Sports Medicine	The field of medicine concerned with physical fitness and the diagnosis and treatment of injuries sustained in exercise and sports activities.	Medicine, Sport,Medicine, Sports,Sport Medicine