2023-07-31 00:26:44
[이데일리 이순용 기자] A link between decompression sickness (diving sickness) in scuba divers and congenital heart disease has been revealed.
Divers with a patent foramen ovale (a hole between the right atrium and the left atrium), one of the congenital heart diseases, are more likely to develop decompression sickness than divers without it, a study by Bucheon Sejong Hospital medical staff confirmed. Divers who do not know whether they have congenital heart disease or who have a history of related heart disease are cautioned. These findings were published in the latest issue of an international academic journal.
Bucheon Sejong Hospital (Chief Lee Myung-mook) Department of Cardiology Director Lee Hyeon-jong and Lim Dal-soo announced this on the 31st through a comparative study on the incidence of decompression sickness in divers with and without foramen ovale.
Hyeonjong Lee, the first author and corresponding author of this thesis, is a professional diver with 110 diving logs (experiences) and a master diver license. The study focused on the fact that minute nitrogen bubbles in the blood generated by the pressure difference during diving flow into the left atrium due to the opening of the foramen ovale, and as a result, nitrogen bubbles spread throughout the body, including the brain.
A diver breathes underwater with compressed air placed in a cylinder. Nitrogen contained in the compressed air dissolves into the blood due to the high water pressure while descending deep into the water, and as the pressure decreases as it rises above the water, the nitrogen in the blood is vaporized in the form of fine bubbles. When these nitrogen bubbles spread throughout the body, they cause pain and shortness of breath.
Director Lee Hyeon-jong said, “25 to 30% of cases where the hole between the right and left atria, which was necessary at birth, do not close and remain in adulthood are observed.” did,” he explained.
A total of 100 divers who made more than 50 dives per year participated in the study. Transesophageal ultrasonography was first performed to confirm the patency of the foramen ovale, and decompression sickness was observed for an average of 28.7 months. For divers during this period, the presence or absence of the foramen ovale was kept secret to reduce bias caused by information. Diving medicine experts and neurologists were also put into the evaluation to determine if the symptoms of decompression sickness they complained of were objective.
As a result of ultrasonography, patent foramen ovale was diagnosed in 68 patients. They did not know that they had patent foramen ovale all their lives. Of these, 37 patients were observed as a high-risk group with large open arms. As a result of the study, 12 out of 37 (28.3%) of the high-risk group developed symptoms of decompression sickness. Among 31 patients in the low-risk group, 2 patients (7.5%) showed symptoms of decompression sickness. None of the 32 patients without a patent foramen ovale reported symptoms of decompression sickness.
Director Lim Dal-soo said, “Divers who have been diagnosed with or suspected decompression sickness may not only have patent foramen ovale, but also may be in a high-risk group, so we need to make efforts to diagnose them first.” It has a much higher incidence of decompression sickness. We recommend treatment in addition to discontinuation of diving for them.”
Director Lee Hyeon-jong of Bucheon Sejong Hospital said, “Decompression sickness is not uncommonly observed at diving sites. Nevertheless, many divers do not know or know that they have decompression sickness, but endure dangerous diving while enduring the symptoms.” said.
This paper was published in the July issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the official journal of the American Academy of Internal Medicine (ACP), which is a world-renowned academic journal.
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