Biokemiska förändringar Vid förhöjt Partialtryck för Syrgas

When diving with compressed air as breathing gas, a continuous accumulation of nitrogen will take place in the body. The total uptake of nitrogen by the tissues is dependent on the duration and depth of the performed dive. Decompression at the end of a dive can cause accumulated nitrogen to form intravascular bubbles.

Furthermore, at depths greater than 30 meters seawater (msw) the elevated partial pressure of nitrogen in the breathing gas will exert a direct effect on the nervous system. This is known as nitrogen narcosis and can cause altered cognitive function, confusion, behavioural disturbance and altered level of consciousness. The effect of nitrogen narcosis gets more pronounced with increasing diving depth. To avert nitrogen narcosis it is common to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the breathing gas being used. At the same time the amount of oxygen must also be reduced, as partial pressures of oxygen above 1,6kPa could induce seizures. Usually a breathing gas mixture containing helium, nitrogen and oxygen (TriMix) is used.

It has long been considered that decompression sickness (DCS) is caused by bubble formation when dissolved nitrogen at the end of diving comes out of solution. Doppler ultrasound techniques have shown that intravascular gas bubbles could exist even after uneventful dives. Therefore, additional pathophysiological factors must be sought.

There is evidence of an increased inflammatory activity in blood after diving. Signs of neutrophil activation is a common finding. It is not known if hyperbaric exposure in itself is enough to elicit these biochemical changes or if the presence of intravascular nitrogen bubbles is needed.

Studies have shown that biochemical markers of central nervous system (CNS) injury can be detected in blood samples obtained from patients with DCS, metabolic and neurologic disease, during cardiac surgery and after traumatic brain injuries. Such markers can also be seen in blood after sport activities like boxing and breath hold diving. If biochemical markers of CNS injury will be present in blood after hyperbaric exposure is not known.