Overexpansion

Injuries

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Overexpansion Injuries
Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

1. State the 4 primary types of overexpansion injuries

2. State some of the causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment

You need to know this because:

3. These types of injuries can be very serious

4. You need to know how to avoid, detect, and treat them

The main points are:

5. The 4 primary types of overexpansion injuries

6. Causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment

Overexpansion Injuries
Four primary types of overexpansion injuries:

1. Arterial Gas Embolism

2. Pneumothorax

3. Subcutaneous Emphysema

4. Mediastinal Emphysema
Overexpansion Injuries
Arterial Gas Embolism

1. One of the most serious diving injuries

2. Air escapes the lungs into the circulatory system

3. Bubbles follow circulatory route to the brain

4. Bubbles expand and cause embolisms which damages

tissue
Overexpansion Injuries
Pneumothorax

1. Second most serious overexpansion injury

2. Air escapes the lungs and goes between the lung covering
and the rib cage

3. When the gas expands it can collapse the lung and put
pressure on the heart
Overexpansion Injuries

Subcutaneous Emphysema

1. Air escapes the lungs into the area of the heart

2. It then moves up the windpipe into the region around the

collar bone and neck
Overexpansion Injuries
Mediastinal Emphysema

1. Air escapes from the lungs

2. It moves into the area of the heart and

presses on the heart and surrounding blood
vessels
Overexpansion Injuries
Causes

1. All four injuries are caused by gas bubbles escaping into

the various tissue layers of the chest and neck

2. They occur essentially the same way: the untrained scuba

diver holds their breath and ascends

3. Air in the lungs expands as the pressure decreases, and

the alveoli rupture upon reaching their elastic limit
Overexpansion Injuries
Symptoms

1. AGE – unconsciousness, headache, vertigo, etc.

2. Pneumothorax – chest pain, breathing difficulties, etc.

3. Subcutaneous Emphysema – swelling in neck, skin

crepitation, voice changes

4. Mediastinal Emphysema – chest pain, breathing

difficulties, etc.
Overexpansion Injuries
Prevention

1. Breathe Continuously

2. Don’t dive congested

3. Don’t smoke

4. Use high-quality, well maintained equipment

5. Ascend slowly
Overexpansion Injuries
Treatment

1. Treat for shock

2. Administer oxygen

3. Prepare to administer CPR

4. Obtain medical aid

Overexpansion Injuries
Summary
We talked about:

1. The 4 primary types of overexpansion injuries

2. Some of the causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment

Now you know:

3. The 4 primary types of overexpansion injuries

4. Causes, signs, prevention, and treatment

You need to know this because:

5. These types of injuries can be very serious

6. You need to know how to avoid, detect, and treat them

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