VENICE, Florida (21 August 2004) -- A bad case of the bends snarled traffic along Esplanade Avenue and sent two divers to the hospital Friday. Details of what happened remained sketchy at press time. Officials speculate the two were diving at least 20 miles off the coast and came up too quickly, causing air pockets to form in their blood. Battalion Chief Louis Boehlein, Sarasota County Fire Department, said the pressure chamber at Sarasota Memorial Hospital wasn't available and the closest hospital that could treat them is in Fort Myers. "Fortunately, the Gulf (of Mexico) isn't all that deep, so it doesn't happen all that often, maybe once a year (in Venice)," Boehlein said. Patient information and conditions were not available on either diver. Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center in Fort Myers did admit both patients, but would not release any condition information. SFRMC has a 12-person hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber that allows nitrogen air pockets to be slowly dissolved back into a person's blood stream. Water pressure causes nitrogen to be pushed out of a person's blood while diving, Boehlein explained. If that person resurfaces too quickly, the nitrogen cannot be absorbed quickly enough, causing the air pockets to form and possibly block arteries. | | "The process is similar to shaking a can of carbonated soda," according to emedicinehealth.com. "If the pressure is high enough, the carbon dioxide in the soft drink will emerge upon opening the can as a gush of bubbles." These two divers arrived on their boat at the South Jetty and made the emergency call from the Crow's Nest restaurant. Medical helicopter pilots picked them up at a site next to Venice Beach. Symptoms usually show within an hour of diving. These can include joint pains, headaches and strokelike symptoms. The air pockets can lead to blood clotting and serious health problems. "That's the real danger, blood clotting, so it's pretty serious," Boehlein said. SOURCE - Venice Gondolier |
