![]() ![]() These injuries allow gas to escape from the small air sacs of the lungs (alveoli) and enter the arterial bloodstream.īoyle’s law - which states the volume of a quantity of gas will increase as ambient pressure decreases - explains lung overexpansion on ascent. ![]() In the case of AGE in divers, the emboli are made up of gas in the arterial bloodstream resulting from lung overexpansion or pulmonary barotrauma (a physical injury to lung tissue resulting from pressure change). They can be composed of gas, blood clots, fat, tumors, amniotic fluid or bacterial vegetations. 1 Emboli are actual or potential blockages of blood vessels by foreign material. AGEĪGE is the disabling injury in 29 percent of dive fatalities and is likely associated with insufficient gas supply, which is the trigger in about 41 percent of dive accidents. Their common origin is the process of decompression, but their underlying causes differ significantly. Collectively, these conditions are often lumped together and referred to as decompression illness (DCI). Under the right circumstances this can initiate a complex interplay between physics and physiology that leads to injury.ĭivers face two types of decompression-related injury: decompression sickness (DCS) and arterial gas embolism (AGE). ![]() Whether ascending from depth or traveling to high altitudes, as we move outward and upward from Earth’s center, the ambient pressure decreases. Decompression illness is a fascinating condition that lurks in the shadows of divers’ minds, reminding us that we are vulnerable and that our push to explore is tempered by potential consequences. ![]()
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