Influence of the diving wetsuit on standard spirometry.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION A well-fitting wetsuit exerts a pressure on the body that may influence spirometry. This pressure is expected to reduce the forced vital capacity (FVC) due to hampered inspiration. Since the shape of the spirometric flow curve should not be changed by the pressure effects of the wetsuits, FVC, the forced expiratory volume during the first second of expiration (FEV₁), the peak expiratory flow (PEF) and the flow between 25 and 75% of FVC (FEF25-75) should change to the same degree.

Doppler bubble grades after diving and relevance of body fat.

Background: From the literature on venous gas embolism (VGE) and decompression sickness (DCS), it remains unclear whether body fat is a predisposing factor for VGE and DCS. Therefore, this study analyses body fat (range 16-44%) in relation to precordial VGE measured by Doppler bubble grades. Also examined is the effect of age (range 34-68 yr), body mass index (BMI; range 17-34 kg x m(-2)), and a model estimate of VO2(max) (maximal oxygen uptake; range 24-54 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)).

Venous gas embolism after an open-water air dive and identical repetitive dive.

Decompression tables indicate that a repetitive dive to the same depth as a first dive should be shortened to obtain the same probability of occurrence of decompression sickness (pDCS). Repetition protocols are based on small numbers, a reason for re-examination. Since venous gas embolism (VGE) and pDCS are related, one would expect a higher bubble grade (BG) of VGE after the repetitive dive without reducing bottom time.