Diving Flashcards
Barometric pressure
pressure around us and above us (weight of air pressing down on earth - greatest at sea level)
barometric pressure becomes smaller at altitude just as
it gets greater in caves, mines and holes that penetrate crust
hyperbaric
greater pressure than normal
1 bar
= 260 mmHg
0m=1 atmo/bar
10m= 2 bar, 20m= 2 bar, 20m= 3 bar etc
pressure change decrease at greater depth
water changes pressure greater than altitude
Boyle’s law
pressure and volume in a system always remains constant- p1V1=p2V2- air compressible
main limitation of breath hold diving
lungs squeezed further due to pressure which reduces volume of air inside
occupational applications of breath holding
pearl collection, sponge collection and spear gun fishing
what happens when lungs compress to a volume that is less than a diver’s residual volume
lung capillaries begin to fail and blood floods the alveoli ( as alveoli pressure becomes negative in respect to hydrostatic pressure in capillaries, causing oedema)
Blood shift to avoid lung compression problem
translocation of blood away from the periphery (aims to protect O2 supply to vital organs), increase periphery pressure by shifting blood from periphery to central to make more solid and resistant to central pressure changes
presence of increased amount of fluid from blood shift prevents
lung collapsing (greater fluid in thoracic cavity)
2 types of scuba diving
- open circuit with 2 regulators (cylinder pressure and regulator-demand)
- closed circuit (rebreathing), more efficient gas use and deeper dives possible (uses soda limes to remove exhaled CO2)
the increase ambient pressure with descent to greater depths causes gas partial pressure to
increase as well
due to greater diffusion of gases into the blood from greater partial pressure increases risk of
nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness and oxygen toxicity (at sea- nitrogen 0.8 bar and O2 0.2 bar, at 30 m depth nitrogen 3.2 bar and O2 0.8bar
Nitrox gas mixture
32% O2, 68% N2 or 36%O2 and 64% N2 for up to 30 m depths to prevent risk of nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness (any deeper risk oxygen toxicity)
Heliox gas mixture
10% O2 and 90% helium for bottom dives
why is helium used sometimes
can be used for greater depths and less narcotic but expensive and requires longer decompression and can cause hypothermia and high pressure nervous syndrome also hypoxic mixture
Normoxic trimix (30-60m) hypoxic trimix (>60m)
trimix contains O2,N2 and He, provides good balance btw cost and effectiveness - trimix at greater depths requires less O2 to prevent oxygen toxicity
lung volume expansion big problem in scuba diving
happens in ascent of ascent of scuba dive , holding breath while going up lungs expand as ambient pressure declines - lung tissue injury is unavoidable in this case
lung expansion most dangerous..
at ascent near surface as greater pressure difference for given distance travelled
pulmonary barotrauma
resulted from lung expansion
Lung barotrauma includes arterial gas embolism (structural alveolar damage)
bubbles enter arterial side which causes blockage (embolism) in brain or heart = stroke or mycardial infarction
Lung barotrauma includes emphysema
over inflation of alveoli causing shortness of breath
Lung barotrauma includes pneumothorax (lung collapse)
air enters pleural sac (no negative pressure in pleural sac to keep lungs inflated) or air released near bronchi filling thoracic near heart and air gets trapped and when expands on ascent causes pressure on heart
ear barotrauma includes
outer ear (blockage, vacuum or pressure), middle ear (inability to equalise ), inner ear (stubborn divers who initially fail to equalise )
types of issues that can come from barotrauma
- squeezed sinuses
- painful expanding sinuses which can cause fracture
- burst eye capillaries
- imploding and exploding teeth (tooth barotrauma)
Barotrauma
physical damage to tissues caused by pressure difference between gases inside body and surrounding fluid or gas
oxygen toxicity
oxygen breathed at high partial pressure (greater depths) can cause serious pulmonary and neurological damage
safe cut off point for inspired pO2
1.6 bar (x8 value on surface) achieved by 100% 6m 32% 40m and 21% 65m
neurological symptoms of oxygen toxicity
muscle twitching, disturbed vision and hearing, loss of coordination as affects muscles, confusion and convulsions
pulmonary symptoms of oxygen toxicity
difficulty breathing and airway damage and inflammation