Pulmonary Effects of Submerged Breathing of Air or Oxygen
Abstract
Use of oxygen-rich gas provides many advantages for divers. Unfortunately, exposure to high inspiratory partial pressures of oxygen (P1O2) also has its own risks, one of which, possible lung damage, is known as pulmonary oxygen toxicity (PO2T). The risks of developing PO2T are poorly characterized. The current shallow-water exposure limit, four hours breathing oxygen at 25 fsw or less in any 24-hour period, was established somewhat arbitrarily as a known "safe" exposure.1 It does not represent a tested upper limit before PO2T develops. However, when the possibility of doubling the shallow water exposure time was explored, many pulmonary symptoms and measurable pulmonary function deficits were seen after seven to eight hours of breathing oxygen underwater.2 We undertook this study because data were lacking to determine how much decrement in measured pulmonary function was related to PO2T, how much to submersion, and how much to variability in baseline pulmonary function test results. Further, no pulmonary information was available for exposure times between four and eight hours.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA442780
Entities
People
- Barbara E. Shykoff
Organizations
- United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit