Dive medical questions

Question 1

What is the nervous system comprised of ?

Answer 1

Brain, spinal chord, and complex network of nerves that course through the body

Question 2

What does the peripheral nervous system consist of?

Answer 2

Cranial nerves, spinal nerves, and the sympathetic nervous system

Question 3

What are the four chambers of the heart?

Answer 3

Left and right atrium (upper chambers) and left and right ventricles (lower chambers)

Question 4

What does the atrium chamber do ?

Answer 4

Receives blood from the veins of its circuit

Question 5

What does the ventricle chamber do?

Answer 5

Takes blood from the atrium and pumps it away via the main artery. (They have the thickest and most muscular walls)

Question 6

What do arteries do ?

Answer 6

Carry blood from the heart to capillaries

Question 7

What do veins do?

Answer 7

Return blood from the capillaries to the heart.

Question 8

Circulatory system consists of what two circuits ?

Answer 8

Pulmonary circuit and systemic circuit

Question 9

Pulmonary circuit

Answer 9

Serves the lungs capillaries.

Question 10

Systemic circuit

Answer 10

Serves the tissues capillaries

Question 11

What are the main veins in the upper chest ?

Answer 11

Superior and inferior vena cava

Question 12

What does Superior vena cava do

Answer 12

Receives blood from upper half of body

Question 13

What does inferior vena cava do

Answer 13

Receives blood from area of the body below the diaphragm.

Question 14

What is hemoglobin

Answer 14

Cells that carry oxygen.

Question 15

How many respiration phases are there and what are the phases?

Answer 15

• 6 phases
  1. Ventilation of the lungs with fresh air
  2. Exchange of gases between blood and air in the lungs
  3. Transport of gases by blood
  4. Exchange of gases by blood and tissue fluids
  5. Exchange of gases between the tissue fluids and cells
  6. Use and production of gases by cells

Question 16

Hypoxia

Answer 16

Is lack of oxygen in arterial blood

Question 17

Symptoms of hypoxia

Answer 17

(Cilli wld) SILLY WORLD
C-cyanosis
i- increased pulse and b/p
L-lack of concentration 
L- lack of muscle control
i- inability to perform

W- weakness
L- loss of consciousness
D- drowsiness

Question 18

Which tissue is most susceptible to the effect of hypoxia ?

Answer 18

Brain tissue

Question 19

Hypercapnia

Answer 19

An abnormally high level of carbon dioxide in the blood and body tissues

Question 20

Symptoms of hypercapnia

Answer 20

(I child)
I- increased respiration and heart

C- confusion
H- headache
I- inability to concentrate 
L- loss of consciousness 
D- drowsiness

Question 21

What are the prerequisites for a squeeze ?

Answer 21

G- gas filled space 
R- rigid walls 
A- a change in ambient pressure 
V- vascular penetration (air pushing through tissues) 
E- enclosed space

Question 22

What is a squeeze(barotrauma) ?

Answer 22

Damage to body tissues due to an incorrect equalization of pressure

Question 23

Different types of squeezes

Answer 23

• Middle ear squeeze/reverse
• sinus squeeze/reverse
• tooth squeeze
• external ear squeeze/reverse
• Thoracic (lung) squeeze
• face or body squeeze
• inner ear squeeze/reverse

Question 24

What is a middle ear squeeze ?

Answer 24

-The most common type of barotrauma

Question 25

What is a tooth squeeze (barodontaglia)

Answer 25

Occurs when a small pocket of gas,generated by decay, is lodged under a poorly fitted or cracked filling

Question 26

How does external ear squeeze happen?

Answer 26

Happens when hood is too tight or have ear plugs in.

Question 27

What is a thoracic (lung) squeeze

Answer 27

Happens when you take a breath at surface and hold your breath through your whole descent,eventually you’ll get a lung squeeze

Question 28

What is Gastrointestinal distention

Answer 28

Aided by gas being generated in the intestines during a dive, or by swallowing air (aerophagia). These pockets of gas should work their way out, if not distention occurs.

Question 29

Pulmonary overinflation syndromes

Answer 29

Is a group of barotrauma related diseases caused by ascending too quickly or holding you breather on ascent.

Question 30

What are the two main causes of alveolar rupture in diving?

Answer 30

- excessive pressure inside the lung caused by positive pressure - failure of expanding gas to escape from the lung during ascent

Question 31

What is the most dangerous POIS? (Pulmonary overinflation syndrome)

Answer 31

Age (arterial gas embolism)

Question 32

What is an AGE? (Arterial gas embolism)

Answer 32

An obstruction of blood flow cause by gas bubbles (emboli) entering the arterial circulation.

Question 33

What are the symptoms of age?

Answer 33

``` UNDER-unconsciousness WATER- weakness PEOPLE- paralysis NEED- numbness EXTREMELY- ear, ringing, roar BIG- blurred or distorted vision DRINKS- dizziness FOR- fatigue, extreme for amount of work done PARTYING- pins and needles ```

Question 34

What is mediastinal emphysema ?

Answer 34

Air bubbles in the chest area. - gas that is forced through lung tissue into the loose mediastinal tissues in the middle of the chest surrounding the heart, trachea and major blood vessels.

Question 35

What is subcutaneous emphysema?

Answer 35

Air bubbles going to the neck area. - gas that subsequently migrated into the subcutaneous tissues of the neck. MEDIASTINAL EMPHYSEMA is a prerequisite for subcutaneous emphysema.

Question 36

What is a pneumothorax?

Answer 36

-Is air trapped in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall.

Question 37

Difference between simple pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax?

Answer 37

Simple pneumothorax has one pop of air rupturing lung , tension pneumothorax it happens continuously.

Question 38

What is nitrogen narcosis ?

Answer 38

A state of euphoria that occurs to a diver when the nitrogen partial pressure is greater than approximately 4 ata.

Question 39

When does nitrogen narcosis appear?

Answer 39

Usually appears at approximately 130 fsw, very prominent at a depth of 200 fsw, and becomes disabling at deeper depths.

Question 40

What are symptoms of nitrogen narcosis ?

Answer 40

- loss of judgment or skill - a false feeling of well being - lack of concern for job or safety - apparent stupidity - inappropriate laughter - tingling and vague numbness of the lips, and gums, and legs

Question 41

When should helium-oxygen mixtures be considered ?

Answer 41

Any dive in excess of 150 fsw

Question 42

What are the two oxygen toxicity experienced by divers?

Answer 42

Pulmonary toxicity and central nervous system (CNS) oxygen toxicity.

Question 43

Prerequisite for a squeeze

Answer 43

``` G-gas filled space R-rigid walls A-ambient pressure change V- vascular penetration E- enclosed space ```

Question 44

Pulmonary o2 toxicity symptoms

Answer 44

C-cough, severe B- breathing shortness of breath S- substernal chest pain

Question 45

Type 1 dcs symptoms

Answer 45

P- pain M- marbling S- swelling of lymph nodes

Question 46

Type 2 dcs is divided into what three categories ?

Answer 46

1. Neurological 2. Inner ear (staggers) 3. Cardiopulmonary (chokes)

Question 47

Two types of recompression treatment tables

Answer 47

1. Oxygen tables ( significantly more effective than air tables 2. Air tables ( only used after oxygen system failure or intolerable patient oxygen toxicity problems with DMO recommendation

Question 48

Steps of POIS

Answer 48

``` 1- pulmonary overinflation 2- RUPTURE OF THE ALVEOLAR LINING 3- pulmonary interstitial emphysema 4A- AGE 4B- mediastinal Emphysema 4C- Subcutaneous Emphysema 4D- pneumothorax (tension pneumothorax) ```