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A SINGLE OPEN SEA AIR DIVE INCREASES PULMONARY ARTERY PRESSURE
Author(s) -
Dujic Zeljko,
Obad Ante,
Palada Ivan,
Brubakk Alf O,
Valic Zoran
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.5.a1249-c
During and after decompression from dives, nitrogen bubbles are frequently observed in the right ventricular outflow tract. These bubbles can lead to endothelial dysfunction and right heart overload, but no data exist on the effect of open sea diving on the pulmonary artery pressure and resistance. Eight healthy professional divers performed an open sea air dive to 30 msw with a standard decompression procedure. Before and after the dive (20 and 40 min), a Doppler echocardiographic study was undertaken. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure was estimated from measurement of peak flow velocity of the tricuspid regurgitant jet; the ratio between pulmonary artery acceleration times and right ventricular ejection time (AccT/RVET) was used as an estimate of the mean pulmonary artery pressure. Dives produced bubbles in 7 out of 8 divers. No evidence of either patent foramen ovale or intra‐pulmonary shunt was found in any subject post‐dive after performing a Valsalva maneuver. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure increased from 25.3±2.9 to 33.3±2.4 mm Hg and AccT/RVET ratio decreased from 0.44±0.04 to 0.3±0.02 20 min after the dive. Pulmonary vascular resistance increased from 1.2±0.12 to 1.4±0.13 Woods Units. This study shows that a single open sea dive may be associated with right heart overload due to increased pressure in the pulmonary artery. This study was supported by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.