CHT Decompression Sickness and Gas Embolism Treatment Flashcards
6 cards from real Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CHT Decompression Sickness and Gas Embolism Treatment flashcards as text
A diver surfaces unconscious after an emergency ascent. The most likely diagnosis is:
Answer: Arterial gas embolism (AGE) from pulmonary barotrauma
Immediate loss of consciousness on or shortly after surfacing following an uncontrolled ascent is the classic presentation of cerebral AGE.
What distinguishes spinal DCS from AGE clinically?
Answer: Spinal DCS typically has a slower onset minutes to hours after surfacing, while AGE presents within seconds to minutes
AGE causes near-immediate neurological deficits due to arterial occlusion; spinal DCS develops more gradually as nitrogen bubbles form in spinal cord tissues.
The purpose of oxygen breathing during decompression stops in USN treatment tables is to:
Answer: Accelerate inert gas (nitrogen) elimination and reduce total treatment time
Breathing 100% oxygen during decompression stops maximizes the diffusion gradient for nitrogen elimination, shortening the required stop times.
The 'D10' endpoint in DCS treatment refers to:
Answer: No residual symptoms at the end of the hyperbaric treatment table
The treatment goal is complete symptom resolution; 'D10' is shorthand for the desired endpoint of total clinical resolution before surfacing.
After a successful Table 6 treatment for DCS, the patient should be advised to:
Answer: Avoid flying or diving for a minimum of 72 hours and follow up with a diving physician
Residual microbubbles and tissue injury require adequate surface interval before pressure exposure; 72 hours minimum and physician clearance are standard recommendations.
Spinal cord DCS is most commonly seen in which segment of the spinal cord?
Answer: Thoracic and lumbar (lower extremity weakness, bladder dysfunction)
The thoracolumbar spinal cord is particularly vulnerable to venous bubble formation due to its watershed circulation, causing lower limb and sphincter symptoms.
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