moore.wbst@Xerox.COM (02/01/86)
From: moore.wbst@Xerox.COM
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Date: 3 Dec 85 11:40 PST
From: DMRussell.pa
Subject: New data on the bends
To: Divers^.X, Wellness^.pa
cc: DMRussell.pa
Reply-to: DMRussell.pa
From the Sept 1985 issue of "The Physician and Sportsmedicine" journal:
-- in the section "Brief Reports," a collection of news briefs
reporting on sportsmedicine issues --
"Information gathered at the annual scientific meeting of the Undersea
Medical Society (UMS), which was held last June in Long Beach,
California:
* It is impossible to predict whether a diver with suffer decompression
sickness (DCS). Critical factors appear to be time spent underwater and
repeated dives at short intervals. According to P.K. Weathersby, MD, of
the US Navy, knowledgeable use of the decompression tables, such as the
US air decompression schedules, provides the best safeguard. But
schedules vary in risk, he added, and the risk increases as time
increases. No decompression is perfectly safe, and no schedule is
certain.
Decompression sickness is classified as type 1, the occurence of bends,
and type 2, the occurrence of central nervous system (CNS) disorders and
chokes. Among CNS disorders, the spinal cord is most frequently
involved. Chokes is an acute syndrome involving dyspnea, coughing, and
production of bloody sputum. The long-term concern is the delayed
occurrence of osteonecrosis, which frequently involves the femoral head
and neck.
* Among 323 US Navy divers hospitalized for DCS between 1968 and 1979,
146 had no medically related events or hospitalization following their
initial treatment, said A. Hoiberg, MD, of the US. Navy. Only 3 of the
divers suffered measureable spinal cord lesions. ...."
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I was amazed by a couple of points: (1) NO decompression is without
risk, no matter how slow or careful. (2) The Navy has about 33 divers
hospitalized PER YEAR. Presumably, they're using the Navy tables!
(Although that IS a presumption...)
Does anyone have any idea why the femoral head would necrose under
compression? I can't think of any good reason why it should.....
-- DMR --
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