What is the best way to prevent Air Embolism?

Question

I'm taking a SCUBA diving class at my college, and since I am OCD I keep on worrying and worrying about the Air Embolism they mention. Exactly what depth should you start worrying about AE and what is the best way to avoid having one? Is there any real danger of having one while doing "practice dives" in a swimming pool?

Answer 1

Air embolism or an arterial gas embolism can occur in as little as 4ft of water, although it is considered a leading problem in diving accidents and fatalities it is still extremely rare and I have never personally experianced or ever dove with anyone that it has happened to, and I have seen a few newbies hit the surface and come half way out of the water. There are people who are predisposed to this type of problem but it will usually show up early on when they begin diving in a mild case and prevent any future diving, a friend of mine had a patent foramen ovale which manifested itself at 50 ft after which he could never dive again.

Other than physiological the most common cause is holding your breath on ascent which is invariably in a panic situation with a new or inexperianced diver, who forget to breath out as they rush for the surface. As for what depth you should worry about it? I have never worried about it and I have been to 185 fsw(feet salt water) on compressed air, but usually it is in the last few feet before the surface that the air pressure increases the quickest.

For a full write up go to www.scuba-doc for more indepth information,
http://www.scuba-doc.com/ageprbs.html
This site will also provide just about all the info you would need to know about diving medicine.

Also check out the DAN website
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=65


Arterial gas embolism is a major cause of death in diving and the initiating cause (pulmonary barotrauma) usually goes undetected. Caused most often by the expansion of respiratory gases during ascent, it also occurs when the breath is held during ascent from a dive, when there is local pulmonary pathology, when there is dynamic airway collapse in the non-cartilaginous airways and if there is low pulmonary compliance, particularly if this is not distributed evenly throughout the lungs. Boyle's law is the physical law controlling the event. Experimental evidence indicates that intratracheal pressures of about 10 kPa (4 fsw or 1.22 m. or ascending from 170 feet or 51.82 m. to 120 feet or 36.58 m.) are all that's needed for it to happen. Distention of the alveoli leads to rupture, alveolar leakage of gas, and extravasation of the gas into the arterial circuit.

In all diving is a fun safe sport which millions of people around the globe experiance every year, have some fun, practice safe diving exercises and remember to not hold your breathe on ascent and you will have a great time and many wonderful diving storyes and experiance to tell your kids when you get older.

Answer 2

Air Embolism Scuba Diving

Answer 3

AE can occur at any depth. My friend got hit by it at 6 metres (20 feet) while on an oxygen rebreather set. What happened was that he panicked underwater, probably suffering from oxygen toxicity, and his buddy, reacting quickly, brought him to the surface, possibly too fast. Note that it is extremely rare, my friend's case being only the 2nd documented case of shallow-depth AE in the world, or so they say.

The cause of AE is ascending too fast. Just note a few things: the rate of ascent is 1 ft per second, or approximately following your smallest bubbles. If in doubt, slower is ok. Always breathe freely during ascent. And DO NOT ascend by inflating your Buoyancy Compensator, possibly the most dangerous thing you can do as a diver... If you watch your bubbles, you will know that the further a bubble ascends, the faster it goes.

Answer 4

As long as you keep breathing regularly the chances of getting an air embolisum are very small. The main cause of one is if you hold you breath while ascending. As you ascend the air in your lungs will expand. If you hold your breath this expansion will force the air into your blood stream and that could cause an air embolism. Just follow the training you are getting in class remember to breathe and remain calm and you will be fine.

Answer 5

They told me it was possible in a pool but highly unlikely.
A rule of thumb taught to me by a navy seal was when breathing
from your regulator never ascend faster than your smallest
bubble. I have a diving certificate.. never had any problems
do a lot of spear fishing in the keys now...

Answer 6

Always make a slow ascent and decent. Never faster than 60 feet per minute, but just go up and down very slowly and hopefully you will be fine.