Scientific papers 1994 - 1995
Authors: J Nedwell, K Needham
This paper, published in 1995, is another study that has
been used by other scientists later on. It thoroughly
investigates the various noise sources during diving
operations, including saturation, and provides accurate
measurements.
This document has been provided by Francis Hermans
Authors: Stein Hege Nordahl, Torbjorn Aasen, Otto Inge
Molvaer
This study verified the hypothesis that deep heliox diving
might influence postural control and the vestibular system.
Multiple postural controls were made in four divers
before, during, and after an onshore experimental heliox
saturation dive of 32 days. The depth was 450 msw.
Downward excursions to 470 msw were also performed.
Clinical Otolaryngology (also called ENT or Ear, Nose,
Throat) and otoneurological examinations, including
bithermal caloric vestibular testing with
electronystagmography (ENG), were performed.
Authors: D Kerem, Y. I. Daskalovic, R Arieli, A Shupak
The authors evaluated CO2 retention in 24 Navy
construction divers breathing air at 1 atm abs (101.3 kPa)
and 40% O2 (40/60) nitrox at 4 atm abs (PO2 of 162.1
kPa) inside a pressure chamber.
Authors: A L Harabin, S S Survanshi, L D Homer
This paper, published in March 1994, discussed of
analyzed central nervous system (CNS) oxygen toxicity
symptoms from 1726 controlled human hyperbaric
exposures at PO2 levels ranging from 0.3 to 2.9
atmospheres (atm) using risk models and maximum
likelihood analysis and tested specific hypotheses with
likelihood ratios. The data were sorted into dry, immersed,
no-exercise, and exercise conditions.
Author: Erik C. Baker
Robert D Workman (1885-1977) made a revision of
Haldane tables and found that the "tissue ratios" for
tolerated overpressure varied by half-time compartment
and by depth. The data showed that the faster half-time
compartments tolerated a greater overpressure ratio than
the slower compartments and that for all compartments,
the tolerated ratios became less with increasing depth.
Instead of using ratios, he described the maximum
tolerated partial pressure of nitrogen and helium for each
compartment at each depth as the "M-value". This concept
is still used by most modern decompression tables.
Author: Lawrence W. Raymond
Although pulmonary barotrauma (PBT) is a well-known
clinical entity, its recognition in divers is sometimes delayed
and its implications for future diving often are
unappreciated. The pulmonary complications of diving
activities range from mere discomfort from mediastinal
emphysema or pneumothorax, or both, to life-threatening
gas embolization. In nine cases described in this paper,
only minor manifestations were associated with PBT
which occurred at or close to the surface, but three of
these four divers were found to have abnormal
pulmonary function.
Authors: R.B. Philp & D.J. Mclver
The authors studied the effects of elevated pressures of
inert and narcotic gases on calcium-dependent functions
and cytosolic calcium levels in human blood platelnts,
marine sponge cells and cultured human SK-N-SH
neuroblastoma cells using the intracellular calcium
indicator fura-2 AM. They found that many of the effects
of narcotic gases and of pressure (He) could be explained
by their influence on stimulated free cytosolic Ca2+ levels.
Authors: C. L. Shake, P. K. Weathersby, B. G. Coras, & arid
J. W. Parker
A disabled submarine (DISSUB) crew exposed to
increased atmospheric pressures resulting from flooding,
rupture of air lines, or emergency breathing apparatus use
may incur a decompression obligation and will require
gradual decompression to avoid decompression sickness
(DCS). Decompression in a nitrogen-oxygen mixture is not
always operationally feasible, and decompression from an
air exposure in helium and oxygen could result in isobaric
counter-diffusion DCS.
In this document, Bruce Wienke and Timothy O’Learly,
who are reputed authors on this subject explain their
comprehention on mixed gas diving.
Authors: F. M.N.H. Schramel, A.R.J. Van Keimpena, J. P.
Janssen, R. P. Golding, & P. E. Postmus
The aim of the present study was to analyse pulmonary
function parameters of patients with spontaneous
pneumothorax (SP) in relation to the extent of
emphysema-like changes (ELCs). Pulmonary function tests
were performed in 85 patients with unilateral SP, 6 weeks
after video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT). In 63 patients,
thoracic computer tomography (CT) was obtained.
Authors: O. Hyldegaard, M. Møller, J. Madsen
Decompression sickness and spinal cord function for at
least three hours after decompression to I atm abs (101
kPa) following exposure to air at 3.8 atm abs (385 kPa) for
1 hour were studied using rats. Three groups of animals
were given either air, oxygen, or heliox (80/20) to breathe
at 1 atm abs for three hours after decompression. Both
oxygen and heliox breathing impeded the development
of DCS significantly. The effect of heliox seemed to be
superior to that of oxygen.
Authors: O. Hyldegaard, J. Madsen
This study aimed to examine the behavior of air bubbles in
three non-lipid tissues (skeletal muscle, tendon, and the
anterior chamber of the eye) during air, helium-oxygen
(heliox, 80:20), or oxygen breathing. Air bubbles were
injected into skeletal muscles or tendons in rats after
decompression from a l-h air exposure at 3.5 atm abs (355
kPa) or into the anterior chamber of the rat eye without
any previous pressure exposure. The bubbles were
studied by photomicroscopy at one atm abs (101 kPa)
during either air-breathing, or air-breathing followed by
heliox or O2 breathing..
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Authors: Lawrence E. Armstrong, Carl M. Maresh, John W.
Castellani, Micheael F. Bergeron, Robert W.
Keriefick, Kent E. LaGasse, and Deborah Riebe
Urinary indices are used to assess the hydration status of
patients, determining whether they are well-hydrated,
euhydrated, or hypohydrated.
This document describes laboratory studies conducted to
determine if urine color accurately indicates hydration
status and to clarify the interchangeability of color, urine
osmolality, and urine specific gravity in research.
The facilitators and participants of this workshop, which
focused on evaluating the feasibility of diving for
individuals with asthma, engaged in a productive
discussion that highlighted key areas that need further
study. The panel ultimately distilled these discussions into
12 consensus statements, offering more precise and
flexible guidelines for determining the suitability of
individuals with asthma.
Authors:
E.I Eger, J. Liu, D. D. Koblin, M.J. Laster, S. Taheri, M.J.
Halsey, P Ionescu, B.S. Chortkoff, and T. Hudlicky
The study examined 35 types of methanes, ethanes,
propanes, and butanes, including unfluorinated, partially
fluorinated, and perfluorinated variants, to identify
molecular properties that correlate with optimal anesthetic
solubility and potency. Additional data were collected on
longer-chained alkanes. The findings suggest that an ideal
anesthetic would have three or four carbon atoms with
single or dual hydrogenation of two carbons, particularly
terminal carbons.
Authors:
M.W.J. Cleeter, J.M. Coopefib, V.M. Darley-Usmard, S.
Moncadad, & A.H.V. Schapira
This study investigates the effect of S-nitrosoglutathione
(GSNO), a nitric oxide generator, on rat skeletal muscle
mitochondria. The findings suggest that nitric oxide can
rapidly and reversibly inhibit the mitochondrial respiratory
chain, potentially contributing to its cytotoxic effects in the
central nervous system (CNS) and other tissues.
Authors: Y.C. Lin, K. Shikaki, H Takeushi, and M. Mohri
This study investigates cardiovascular deconditioning (CD)
in subjects exposed to a hyperbaric environment of 31
ATA and subsequent decompression to sea level.
Measurements were taken before and after underwater
exercise, during early, mid, and late exposure to 31 ATA,
and post-dive. The conclusions are that hypovolemia is a
major factor in the acute phase of hyperbaric CD, and
prolonged inactivity may contribute to later phases.
Moderate daily exercise was not effective in preventing
hyperbaric CD.
Author: M J Tipton
This document intends to analyze and critique the
effectiveness of current standards, specifications, and
guidelines for immersion protective equipment in
preventing fatalities at sea. It aims to identify gaps in the
design, selection, and evaluation of such equipment,
particularly about environmental conditions and
physiological responses. In addition, it concludes with
recommendations for improving standards and testing to
better account for hazardous responses associated with
immersion.
Authors: A. Boussuges, P. Blanc, F. Molenat, E. Bergmann,
J.M. Sainty
This study presents research findings on the relationship
between haematocrit levels and neurological
decompression illness (DCI) in sport divers and determines
the correlation between haematocrit levels and the
prognosis of neurological sequelae in divers affected by
DCI. It provides statistical analysis comparing haematocrit
levels in divers with neurological DCI, those with
neurological sequelae, and control divers, highlighting
significant findings and their implications for prognosis.
Authors: A. Boussuges, S. Abdellaoui, B. Gardette, & JM
Sainty
Since the sixties, when Cross and Bagnis published articles
on Taravana in Polynesian pearl divers, decompression
sickness following breath hold diving has been a widely
debated subject. In this type of dive, the quantity of
dissolved nitrogen is very low and repeated exposure for
several hours is required for the tissues to be
oversaturated for any length of time. This study was
designed to research circulating air bubbles in top level
breath hold divers during training periods, using two-
dimensionnal (2D) echocardiography and continuous
Doppler ultrasound recordings.
Author: J.B. Mekjavic, T. Passias, C.J. Sundberg, & O. Eiken
The study investigated how six male subjects felt about
thermal comfort in water at 28°C and 15°C while
breathing either room air or a mixture with 30% N2O.
Subjects rated their comfort on a scale from very hot to
very cold. Results showed that perceptions of coldness
were lower during N2O trials compared to air, indicating
that narcosis affects thermal balance perceptions.
03 - Perception of Thermal comfort during narcosis
- Published by the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society
Authors: J.H Abraini, M. Ansscau. E. Martinez, H. Burner,
J. Wauthy, and C. Lemaire
Six commercial divers were invesligated for anxiety
responses during a 29-day, open-sea world record dive
at 500 meters of depth. Three ofsix (50%) divers
developed anxiety. The authors emphasize the
importance of research on personality traits as possible
predictors for the development of anxiely during deep
dives of exceptional depth and duration of confinement.
Authors: A.W. Murrison, E Glasspool, R.J. Pethybridge,
T.J.R. Francis, E.M. Sedgwick
The study aimed to see if divers with neurological
decompression illness have different EEG results
compared to non-divers. The findings showed no
differences between the two groups
11 - Electroencephalographic study of divers with histories of
neurological decompression illness
- Published by the Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Authors: M.G. Monteiro, W. Hernandez, N.B. Figlie, E.
Takahashi, M. Korukian
Nitrogen narcosis is similar to alcohol intoxication, but no
studies have directly compared their effects in humans. A
hypothesis suggests that behavioral effects may share a
common mechanism. To test this, 14 healthy male
volunteers reported their feelings after consuming
alcohol and during a simulated dive at 50 meters. Results
showed that those who felt less intoxicated from alcohol
also experienced less nitrogen narcosis. This indicates a
possible shared mechanism in the brain for both
substances.
14 - Comparison Between Subjective Feelings to Alcohol and
Nitrogen Narcosis: A Pilot Study
- Published by Elsevier
