scuba dew
Contributor
i copyed this from cave burn, it's good to know
yes, bubble formation happens every time we dive. The lungs are the bodies' natural filtering mechanism to remove bubbles and for bubbles small in size and small in quantity, the lungs do a good job.
Enter the Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). The foramen ovale is a shunt or bypass between the right and left side of the heart which, before birth, allows blood to bypass the lungs. After birth there is a flap of tissue that falls down and seals over the hole. In one in five of us, 20%, in the general population this flap doesn't seal completely.
For divers, if the foramen ovale remains 'patent' it allows the bubbles, which are usually filtered by the lungs to bypass the lungs and so remain in the blood stream.
A PFO is present in 80% of divers who experience type II DCS, indiso a PFO is a contraindicator to decompression diving in particular and, to a lesser extent, any kind of diving in general.
Testing to see if you have a PFO isn't usually done in the general population because it usually doesn't present a risk but isn't really that expensive and is recommended for anyone who's been treated for DCS.
I found the article you referenced at the bottom of your post interesting. Dr. Richard Moon is head of the Duke Hyperbaric research facility and was one of the educators at the Dive Medical Tech/Hyperberic Tech course I took through DAN and at Duke University in 2005. What I've posted above is what we were taught in that course. I don't think this article invalidates any of that, it just says there is more to learn and we can't say for sure that fixing a PFO eliminates all risk factors and will keep you having another bout of DCS.
Be safe and have fun in the water! Bruce
__________________
Never try to teach a pig to whistle, it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.
Visit my web page Cave Dive Central
yes, bubble formation happens every time we dive. The lungs are the bodies' natural filtering mechanism to remove bubbles and for bubbles small in size and small in quantity, the lungs do a good job.
Enter the Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO). The foramen ovale is a shunt or bypass between the right and left side of the heart which, before birth, allows blood to bypass the lungs. After birth there is a flap of tissue that falls down and seals over the hole. In one in five of us, 20%, in the general population this flap doesn't seal completely.
For divers, if the foramen ovale remains 'patent' it allows the bubbles, which are usually filtered by the lungs to bypass the lungs and so remain in the blood stream.
A PFO is present in 80% of divers who experience type II DCS, indiso a PFO is a contraindicator to decompression diving in particular and, to a lesser extent, any kind of diving in general.
Testing to see if you have a PFO isn't usually done in the general population because it usually doesn't present a risk but isn't really that expensive and is recommended for anyone who's been treated for DCS.
I found the article you referenced at the bottom of your post interesting. Dr. Richard Moon is head of the Duke Hyperbaric research facility and was one of the educators at the Dive Medical Tech/Hyperberic Tech course I took through DAN and at Duke University in 2005. What I've posted above is what we were taught in that course. I don't think this article invalidates any of that, it just says there is more to learn and we can't say for sure that fixing a PFO eliminates all risk factors and will keep you having another bout of DCS.
Be safe and have fun in the water! Bruce
__________________
Never try to teach a pig to whistle, it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.
Visit my web page Cave Dive Central
