If a diver has decompression sickness or lung damage and develops an air embolism, the only effective treatment is immediate recompression in a hyperbaric chamber.
The diver is given oxygen and laid horizontally until they reach the hyperbaric chamber.
Recompression treatment involves lying in a hyperbaric chamber, usually for several hours, and breathing pure oxygen under high pressure. The treatment is effective up to 48 hours after diving. The high pressure will restore normal bloodflow and oxygen to the body's tissues and reduce the size of the air bubbles in the body.
After recompression, pressure is reduced gradually to allow the gases to leave the body without causing harm.
Patients in surgery
If an air embolism is suspected during surgery, the surgeon will do the following:
- Prevent more air from entering the body by sealing the open blood vessels.
- Reduce the amount of air already in the body using a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
- Support the heart and lungs. A fall in blood pressure can be prevented by introducing fluids. Drugs, such as adrenaline, will keep the heart functioning. If possible, the site of the operation should be positioned lower than the level of the heart, by repositioning the person or tilting the operating table.
- Treat other symptoms. For example, if the person has an air embolism in the arteries to the brain, it may cause seizures, which are treated using drugs called barbiturates.
