Article Text

This article has a correction. Please see:

Download PDFPDF
Influence of repetitive open sea dives and physical exercises on right-to-left shunting in healthy divers
  1. J-E Blatteau1,
  2. C Pény1,
  3. J-M Pontier2,
  4. E Gempp3,
  5. P Louge2
  1. 1
    Département de Médecine Hyperbare, Hôpital d’instruction des armées Sainte-Anne, Toulon Armées, France
  2. 2
    Ecole de Plongée de la Marine, Toulon Armées, France
  3. 3
    Institut de Médecine Navale du Service de Santé des Armées IMNSSA, Toulon Armées, France
  1. J-E Blatteau, Département Hyperbare, HIA Sainte-Anne, 83800 Toulon Armées, France; je.blatteau{at}infonie.fr

Abstract

Objective: Paradoxical gas embolism through right-to-left (R/L) shunts is considered as a potential cause of certain types of decompression sickness.

Aim: To assess whether 4 months of repetitive diving and strenuous exercises would lead to an increased prevalence of R/L shunting in a group of military divers.

Methods: Using a standardised contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler technique, 17 divers were re-examined for the presence of a R/L shunt 4 months after their initial examinations. R/L shunts were classified as type I if observed only after a straining manoeuvre, and type II if present at rest.

Results: Initial prevalence of R/L shunt was 41%: six type I shunts and one type II. At the second examination, prevalence was 47%, with the appearance of one type I shunt that was not previously present. We found no significant increase in the prevalence and size of R/L shunts.

Conclusion: It is speculated that diving-related phenomena, such as variations in right atrial pressures during the end stages of or events immediately after a dive could generate an R/L shunt. However, extreme conditions of repetitive diving and strenuous exercises do not cause permanent modification in R/L permeability over a period of 4 months.

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

Footnotes

  • Funding: There is no financial or other relationship that might be perceived as leading to a conflict of interest.

  • Competing interests: None.