What's the difference between an air embolism and "the bends" when referring to decompression illnesses?
Hello, I'm doing a project in which I'm relating the gas laws of chemistry to SCUBA diving, and I'm instructed to do two separate panels on both "the bends" and air embolisms. I have completed the section on "the bends," but when researching air embolisms, I feel that the two are so similar that I am having a hard time differentiating between the two. I am not too familiar with decompression illnesses, so could someone of a better understanding please help me out?
The Bends, also known as Decompression Sickness or DCS is when bubbles become blocked somewhere, typically in joint such as an elbow or shoulder. Depending upon severity, this can be quite painful. Treatment involves recompression in a chamber to reduce the size of the bubbles. "Small" bubbles are normal occurrence due to diving, but when they become too large, you get "bent."
Embolism, on the other hand, is completely different. Air Embolism is a situation where when the breath is held, the lungs become over-expanded and rupture like a balloon. The air then proceeds past the heart and straight to the brain. Since there are no nerves in the lungs it it painless. But death comes in under a minute.
scuba diving injury pulmonary barotrauma gas embolism
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