Encyclopedia

decompression sickness

Also found in: Dictionary, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Wikipedia.

decompression sickness

, illness
a disorder characterized by severe pain in muscles and joints, cramp, and difficulty in breathing, caused by a sudden and sustained decrease in air pressure, resulting in the deposition of nitrogen bubbles in the tissues
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

decompression sickness

A sickness caused by the evolution of nitrogen bubbles in the body as a result of the effects of reduced atmospheric pressure. Normal symptoms of decompression sickness are the bends, chokes, creeps, unconsciousness, and neurological symptoms. It can be potentially fatal if the original higher pressure is not restored. Fighter crews use pressure suits and pressure breathing to avoid the effects of decompression sickness. Also called aeroembolism, the bends, and caisson disease.
An Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
Mentioned in
References in periodicals archive
I got a research grant from the Fisheries Department, modified the dive profiles [risk of injury estimates] and changed the incidence of decompression sickness from over 40 percent to less than 0.01 percent.
Working outside the international space station in spacesuits elevates astronauts' risk of decompression sickness, Moon indicates, since the transition from the stations to a space suit rapidly lowers the pressure to which the astronaut is exposed by two-thirds.
"Diving is physically exhausting, and there's an increased risk of experiencing decompression sickness like that of a scuba diver," said Capt.
Decompression sickness can result in serious, permanent injuries, including paralysis and death.(1) By regulating depth, the time underwater, the rate of ascent, and the interval between dives, a diver can reduce the risk of developing the bends.
It is thought that Sarah Ann Pitkin, 45, believed to be from the West Country, died from an attack of the bends - decompression sickness.
Nitrogen poisoning presents another risk for divers who conduct frequent deep-water operations.(11) When divers surface quickly, nitrogen that has pooled in the blood bubbles out, causing decompression sickness,(12) or "the bends." Symptoms include joint pain, back or abdominal pain, paralysis, numbness, tingling, inability to control bowels or urine, headache, dizziness, partial blindness, confusion, shortness of breath, chest pains, coughing and/or shock.(13)
In an attempt to curb diving accidents, Nietschmann, marine biologist Bill Alevizon, and the Florida-based Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) initiated a scuba-training course on the Miskito coast to educate divers about how to avoid air embolisms and decompression sickness, called "the bends." The CCC also offered training to local doctors in how to treat scuba-diving injuries.
Although most physicians consider this usage to be mere quackery, the machine itself is anything but useless, having proven its effectiveness against decompression sickness (occurring whenever scuba divers encounter "the bends"), carbon monoxide poisoning, anemia, and skin graft rejection, among other ailments.
A diver suffering from decompression sickness was rescued by Oban lifeboat on Saturday.
Before take-off, Cruise spent 20 minutes on the ground breathing pure oxygen in order to avoid decompression sickness. The actor then climbed to 7,620 metres into the air, at which time all the lighting on the aircraft turned from white to red.
The diver got into difficulty on May 8 and was showing symptoms of decompression sickness after completing a dive in the Union Hall area of Cork.
Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.