Undersea Hyperbar M
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Undersea Hyperbar M · May 2011
Case ReportsCase reports: hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of cerebral air embolism.
Cerebral air embolism is one of the most deleterious disorders that may affect divers, but it is also a possible complication of surgeries and medical procedures. We report our experience with iatrogenic cerebral air embolism and hyperbaric oxygen treatment.
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Undersea Hyperbar M · Mar 2011
Exercising divers' thermal protection as a function of water temperature.
Physiological adjustments and passive thermal insulation are not sufficient to protect divers in the cold and warm waters experienced by sport, professional and military divers. In a previous study of resting subjects, divers were protected by actively heated/cooled water that perfused a six-zone (head, torso, arms, hands, legs and feet) tube suit. Subsequently a self-contained diver thermal protection system (DTPS) was developed and used in this study to test male divers (n = 8) wearing a 6-mm foam neoprene wetsuit in water temperatures (T(W)) of 10 degrees C-39 degrees C at 4 feet in depth. ⋯ This power requirement was nominally split 4%, 22%, 22%, 14%, 25% and 13% for head, torso, arms, hands, legs and feet, respectively. While unprotected, divers T(S) and T(C) did not remain within acceptable limits in T(W) below 25 degrees C or above 30 degrees C. When using the DTPS, however, they did remain within acceptable limits, and the divers reported they were comfortable.
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Pneumocephalus is a recognized complication from head and facial traumas, sinus surgery and as a complication from otitis media acuta. Only a few cases of pneumocephalus related to diving have been reported. ⋯ Pneumocephalus is a rare, but serious complication of diving. The condition should be suspected in a diver with increasing headache or other central nervous disturbancies during ascent. The treatment of pneumocephalus in divers is a matter of debate.
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Undersea Hyperbar M · May 2010
Effects of the combination of hyperbaric oxygen and 5-fluorouracil on proliferation and metastasis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2Z cells.
We investigated the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) and/or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on the proliferation and metastasis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell line CNE2Z and the underlying mechanisms involved. ⋯ Simple HBO2 treatment after 48 and 72 hours could inhibit the proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE2Z cells. The combination of HBO2 with 5-FU exhibited significant synergism in the suppression of NE2Z cell proliferation only after 48 hours of treatment compared to 5-FU. Simple HBO2 treatment could not reduce the high expressions of MMP-9 and VEGF and inhibit the metastasis of human NPC CNE2Z cells, and no synergistic effect was observed for the combination of HBO2 with 5-FU compared to 5-FU alone.
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Undersea Hyperbar M · Nov 2009
Case ReportsCase report: Treatment of mild traumatic brain injury with hyperbaric oxygen.
Two United States Air Force Airmen were injured in a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Iraq in January 2008. Both airmen suffered concussive injuries and developed irritability, sleep disturbances, headaches, memory difficulties and cognitive difficulties as symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Six months after injury, repeat Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) testing showed deterioration, when compared to pre-injury baseline ANAM assessment, in all measured areas (simple reaction time, procedural reaction time, code substitution learning, code substitution delayed, mathematical processing, and matching to sample). ⋯ The airmen received no other treatment besides medical monitoring. Repeat neuropsychologic testing confirmed the improvement. We conclude that the improvement in symptoms and ANAM performance is most likely attributable to HBO treatment.