Journal of travel medicine
-
Diving is a high-risk sport. There are approximately between 1 to 3 million recreational scuba divers in the USA (with over a quarter-million learning scuba annually); there are about 1 million in Europe and over 50,000 in the United Kingdom. In this population 3-9 deaths/100,000 occur annually in the US alone, and those surviving diving injuries far exceeds this. ⋯ Greater than 90% of the human body is either water or bone, which is incompressible; the areas directly affected by pressure changes thus are those that are filled with air or gas. These sites include the middle ear, the eustachian tube, the sinuses, the thorax, and the gastrointestinal tract. Air in these cavities is compressed when the ambient pressure rises because the pressure of inhaled air must equilibrate with the ambient pressure.
-
A relatively high proportion of overseas development workers may develop chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). A qualitative study was conducted in order to investigate how such people perceived their condition. ⋯ Some theories have suggested that CFS symptoms arise as a result of depression or other emotional difficulties, which the individual is not able to acknowledge. The results indicated that such theories may not apply to this subgroup of people with CFS. Further research on the etiology of CFS is warranted. Respondents described high levels of work-related stress as common to the experience of development work. It might be beneficial to train development workers in stress management techniques. Development organizations should be encouraged to ensure that their workers take sufficient time to rest, and attempts should be made to reduce work pressures.
-
Envenomation by marine creatures is more common than is often realized, and regularly accounts for both death and severe morbidity in humans. Worldwide marine envenomation morbidity and mortality result from two main animal groups: (1) jellyfish, and (2) "other" marine animals. Venomous jellyfish are discussed in part I of this article, with relevant information on their distribution and appearance, and on symptoms of envenomation; first aid and medical treatment are also suggested.