Understanding dive behavior of artisanal fishermen divers of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Introduction/background: Artisanal fishermen dive for sustenance. The lifetime prevalence of decompression sickness (DCS) in this population is alarmingly high. We wanted to understand the level of decompression stress fishermen in this region of the Yucatán experience in their daily fishing effort.

Hyperbaric programs in the United States: Locations and capabilities of treating decompression sickness, arterial gas embolisms, and acute carbon monoxide poisoning: survey results.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the primary treatment for arterial gas embolism, decompression sickness and acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Though there has been a proliferation of hyperbaric centers throughout the United States, a scarcity of centers equipped to treat emergency indications makes transport of patients necessary. To locate and characterize hyperbaric chambers capable of treating emergency cases, a survey of centers throughout the entire United States was conducted.

CO and CO2 analysis in the diving gas of the fishermen of the Yucatan Peninsula.

It is reported that more than 75% of 400 artisanal fisherman divers working off the Yucatan Peninsula experience decompression sickness (DCS) each year, making DCS an epidemic in this region. These divers use primitive hookah diving support systems (HDSS). Breathing air is supplied from inadequately filtered and poorly maintained gasoline-powered air compressors.

Treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning with hyperbaric oxygen and therapeutic hypothermia.

We present a preliminary case report series of severe, acute carbon monoxide poisoning in which both hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) and therapeutic hypothermia (TH) were used to ameliorate neurological sequelae. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a standard indication for HBO2. While typically used postcardiac arrest, TH has been used for other types of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.