CHOKES

Course overview

CHOKES, OR PULMONARY DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS, IS A RARE BUT SEVERE MANIFESTATION OF DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS (DCS) THAT CAN BE RAPIDLY FATAL EVEN WITH APPROPRIATE TREATMENT. DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS, ALSO CALLED DIVERS' DISEASE, THE BENDS, AEROBULLOSIS, AND CAISSON DISEASE IS CAUSED BY DISSOLVED GASES EMERGING FROM SOLUTION AS BUBBLES INSIDE THE BODY TISSUES DURING DECOMPRESSION. DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS OFTEN OCCURS SOON AFTER A DECOMPRESSION ASCENT FROM DIVING, EMERGING FROM A CAISSON, DECOMPRESSION FROM SATURATION, FLYING IN AN UNPRESSURIZED AIRCRAFT AT HIGH ALTITUDE, AND EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY FROM SPACECRAFT. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PULMONARY DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.