TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Diving accident-induced arterial gas embolism
JO  - Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde
A1  - Nijk, P. D.
A1  - van Rees Vellinga, T. P.
A1  - van Lieshout, J. M.
A1  - Gaakeer, M. I.
SP  - D1459
EP  - D1459
VL  - 161
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: During scuba diving, nitrogen dissolves into the body tissues due to elevated pressure under water. During a sudden drop in pressure due to a rapid return to the water surface, arterial gas embolism can arise from pulmonary barotrauma. In a later phase, nitrogen bubbles can also arise in the venous circulation (decompression sickness). Arterial bubbles can incur vascular damage, obstruction, hypoxia and infarction. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 53-year-old healthy sport diver presented at the emergency department in a hypovolemic shock with progressive paresis of all the extremities. He had made an emergency ascent from a depth of 47 meter. During recompression therapy his condition deteriorated. It transpired that he had an patent foramen ovale. As a consequence of this, nitrogen bubbles due to decompression sickness entered the arterial circulation. Despite maximum therapeutic intervention the patient remained paretic. <br><br>CONCLUSION: After an ill-fated dive, this patient with patent foramen ovale contracted arterial gas embolism due to pulmonary barotrauma and, at a later stage, decompression sickness. There was increasing damage to the spinal cord resulting in severe physiological disruption.<p />  <p>Language: nl</p>
LA  - nl
SN  - 0028-2162
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -