BAROTRAUMA

Course overview

BAROTRAUMA IS PHYSICAL TISSUE DAMAGE CAUSED BY A PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN UNVENTED SPACE INSIDE THE BODY AND SURROUNDING GAS OR FLUID. THE DAMAGE IS DUE TO SHEAR OR OVERSTRETCHING OF TISSUES. AS A GAS-FILLED SPACE EXPANDS OR CONTRACTS, IT CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE LOCAL TISSUE. OCCASIONALLY, TEARS IN TISSUE CAN ALLOW GAS TO ENTER THE BODY THROUGH THE INITIAL TRAUMA SITE. THIS CAUSES POTENTIAL BLOCKAGE OF CIRCULATION AT DISTANT SITES OR INTERFERES WITH NORMAL ORGAN FUNCTION. BAROTRAUMA CAN CAUSE SINUS INJURY, EAR INJURY, FACIAL INJURY, TOOTH INJURY, AN ACUTE ABDOMEN, PNEUMOTHORAX, PULMONARY HEMORRHAGE, AND SUBCUTANEOUS EMPHYSEMA. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSES, PRESENTATION OF BAROTRAUMA, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT IN ORDER TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES.