• J M I H Ing Han Gho, Irene Fleur Kramer, Rob A van Hulst, and William L M Kramer.
• Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Afd. Cardiologie, Utrecht, the Netherlands. jgho@umcutrecht.nl
• Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2012 Jan 1;156(36):A4985.

AbstractNowadays, diving is being performed ever more frequently; it is thus important to take diving injuries into consideration in patients presenting with even minor complaints after diving. Every dive is risky and could result in decompression illness, barotrauma and/or death. We report on two cases of decompression illness: a 30-year old man, an occupational diver, and a 46-year old man, an experienced diver, who were both clinically suspected of having decompression illness and were treated with hyperbaric oxygen in a recompression chamber. Both were eventually symptom-free after several treatments. Decompression illness is caused by a reduction in ambient pressure, which results in intra- or extravascular bubbles. Symptoms vary and are dependent on the site affected: from minor pain to neurological symptoms and death. If patients are suspected of having diving injuries, we recommend contacting a centre specialised in diving and hyperbaric medicine. Recompression in a hyperbaric chamber is the definitive treatment for decompression illness and should be performed as soon as possible.

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