FLYING AFTER DIVING

Course overview

EXPOSURE TO REDUCED BAROMETRIC PRESSURE SHORTLY AFTER DIVING CAN INCREASE A DIVER'S RISK OF DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS (DCS). BEFORE FLYING, A DIVER SHOULD REMAIN AT SEA LEVEL LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE ELIMINATION OF EXCESS INERT GAS, MAINLY NITROGEN, FROM TISSUES. IF A DIVER FLIES TOO SOON, THEN THE INERT GAS CAN COME OUT OF SOLUTION, FORM BUBBLES IN TISSUES, AND RESULT IN DECOMPRESSION ILLNESS. PREFLIGHT SURFACE INTERVALS VARY AND DEPEND ON THE TYPE OF DIVING DONE BEFORE THE FLIGHT. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WHO WANT TO FLY AFTER DIVING.