Decompression Illnesses

Decompression Illnesses: Causes, Symptoms and Prevention

Decompression illness is a serious disease that occurs when body tissues are saturated with nitrogen in an area of ​​high pressure. This condition can occur in divers, pilots, caisson workers and other professions that involve working under high pressure conditions. The cause of this disease is the blockage of small vessels with gas due to supersaturation of the blood with nitrogen and the inability to quickly release it through the alveoli of the lungs.

When working in an area of ​​high pressure, the body is saturated with nitrogen, and different tissues are saturated with nitrogen at different rates. Blood is saturated faster than adipose tissue, and the latter is saturated 5 times more than blood and other tissues. If at normal atmospheric pressure only approx. 1 ml of nitrogen, then at a pressure of 3 atm - 3 ml. Saturation of tissues with nitrogen at the pressure at which a pilot, diver, or caisson operator usually has to work (subject to working rules) does not have an adverse effect on the body. However, at high pressure values ​​(4 atm or more), agitation, hallucinations, memory impairment, impaired consciousness, etc. are observed.

When leaving the high pressure zone, nitrogen bubbles leave the body tissues and are released through the blood into the lungs. If this process does not occur quickly enough, decompression illnesses occur. Cooling of body tissues, which disrupts normal blood circulation, is also essential.

Signs of the disease appear within the first hour after leaving the high pressure zone. The disease is manifested by itching of the skin, damage to joints, bones, muscles, which are characterized by pain and swelling of tissues. The last symptom is the most common (85-90% of cases). When the nervous system is damaged, dizziness, stupor, fainting, vomiting, weakness, and sometimes paresis and paralysis are observed. Blockage of blood vessels in the brain and heart can be fatal.

Prevention of decompression illnesses includes compliance with the correct regime for exiting the high-pressure zone, monitoring the special equipment used by divers, caisson workers, pilots, as well as regular monitoring