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CHS Decompression Sickness & Diving Medicine Flashcards

6 cards from real CHS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. What is the primary pathophysiological mechanism of decompression sickness (DCS)?

    Answer: Formation of nitrogen gas bubbles in tissues and blood during rapid ascent

    Rapid ascent causes dissolved nitrogen in tissues to come out of solution and form bubbles, which physically obstruct vessels, compress nerves, and trigger inflammatory cascades.

  2. Type II (serious) DCS most commonly affects which body system, making early treatment with HBOT critical?

    Answer: Spinal cord and central nervous system

    Type II DCS frequently causes spinal cord and CNS injury from venous infarction and bubble emboli, presenting with paralysis, sensory deficits, or altered consciousness.

  3. The US Navy Treatment Table 6 (TT6) is the standard HBOT protocol for serious DCS. At what pressure is the majority of the treatment conducted?

    Answer: 3.0 ATA (66 fsw)

    USN TT6 is conducted primarily at 2.8 ATA (60 fsw equivalent on the oxygen schedule), but the treatment depth reached initially may be 2.8 ATA; however TT6 is conducted at 2.8 ATA with the first oxygen breathing at 60 fsw = 2.8 ATA.

  4. Which clinical finding is most consistent with arterial gas embolism (AGE) in a SCUBA diver?

    Answer: Sudden loss of consciousness immediately upon or within minutes of surfacing

    AGE causes immediate neurological catastrophe on surfacing as air bubbles enter the pulmonary veins and travel to the cerebral circulation, producing rapid loss of consciousness or stroke-like symptoms.

  5. When a diver with suspected AGE presents for HBOT, what is the recommended immediate positioning during transport?

    Answer: Supine with head at the same level as the body

    Current guidelines recommend supine positioning; head-down positioning is no longer recommended as it may increase cerebral edema without proven benefit in reducing bubble migration.

  6. What is the term for the 'chokes' presentation in DCS, and which body system does it affect?

    Answer: Pulmonary DCS causing chest pain, dyspnea, and coughing from bubbles in pulmonary vasculature

    The 'chokes' is a severe pulmonary form of DCS where gas bubbles obstruct the pulmonary capillaries, causing progressive respiratory failure requiring emergency HBOT.