Global longitudinal strain assessment of cardiac function and extravascular lung water formation after diving using semi-closed circuit rebreather.

Purpose: The aim of the present investigation is to study the relationship of ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) and ultrasound lung comets (ULC) formation to establish a link between extravascular pulmonary water formation and cardiac contractile dysfunction.

Methods: This is a prospective observational study including 14 active military divers. The subjects performed two sea dives of 120 min each with a semi-closed SCUBA circuit at 10 m depth.