NITROGEN NARCOSIS IN DIVING

Course overview

NITROGEN NARCOSIS, ALSO KNOWN AS DEPTH INTOXICATION OR RAPTURE OF THE DEEP, IS A CHANGE IN CONSCIOUSNESS AND NEUROMUSCULAR FUNCTION CAUSED BY BREATHING COMPRESSED INERT GAS. CLASSICALLY, THIS CONDITION OCCURS IN SCUBA DIVERS THAT BREATHE COMPRESSED NITROGEN, HOWEVER, IT CAN ALSO OCCUR WHEN OTHER INERT GASES, SUCH AS NEON, ARGON, KRYPTON, AND XENON ARE INHALED. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF NITROGEN NARCOSIS AND STRESSES THE ROLE OF AN INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM APPROACH TO THE CARE OF AFFECTED PATIENTS.