Dry suits and skin Bends
About an hour after I completed a single drysuit dive on air, I noticed odd bruise-like lines on both shoulders and behind both knees, but no other symptoms. The uneventful dive was to 65 feet for 24 minutes in a lake with a water temperate of 50°F. The drysuit was tight, however, around the shoulders, armpits and knees. How would I know if this is skin bends or suit squeeze?
When differentiating between drysuit squeeze and the many causes of diving-related skin conditions, we can quickly eliminate most types of marine life injuries simply because the skin is completely covered by the suit. Cutaneous decompression sickness (DCS), or skin bends, is a mild form of DCS. Drysuit squeeze is a type of barotrauma or pressure injury to the skin that is caused by a failure to add air to your drysuit during descent.
While descending, the volume of the air spaces is reduced and trapped in the folds of the suit. The skin tends to be sucked into these folds. Divers will often recall the suit being tight or ill-fitting. The diver may find linear marks or bruises, usually beneath the drysuit's valves and seams. This condition is usually painless and clears within a few days. To avoid suit squeeze, divers should add just enough gas to the suit during descent and make sure to vent excess gas when ascending.
Cutaneous DCS typically presents as a blotchy, bruise-like rash generally appearing in areas of the body with the most adipose tissue (body fat), such as the abdomen, thighs, buttocks and breasts. The condition usually responds well to surface-level oxygen therapy. DAN has observed, however, that at least 20 percent of divers with suspected skin bends may also experience visual disturbances, weakness, confusion or other neurological symptoms that require recompression treatments. It is important that divers do not overlook these symptoms. DAN always recommends a thorough medical evaluation and appropriate treatment of divers with suspected skin bends.
— Travis Ward, EMT-P
When differentiating between drysuit squeeze and the many causes of diving-related skin conditions, we can quickly eliminate most types of marine life injuries simply because the skin is completely covered by the suit. Cutaneous decompression sickness (DCS), or skin bends, is a mild form of DCS. Drysuit squeeze is a type of barotrauma or pressure injury to the skin that is caused by a failure to add air to your drysuit during descent.
While descending, the volume of the air spaces is reduced and trapped in the folds of the suit. The skin tends to be sucked into these folds. Divers will often recall the suit being tight or ill-fitting. The diver may find linear marks or bruises, usually beneath the drysuit's valves and seams. This condition is usually painless and clears within a few days. To avoid suit squeeze, divers should add just enough gas to the suit during descent and make sure to vent excess gas when ascending.
Cutaneous DCS typically presents as a blotchy, bruise-like rash generally appearing in areas of the body with the most adipose tissue (body fat), such as the abdomen, thighs, buttocks and breasts. The condition usually responds well to surface-level oxygen therapy. DAN has observed, however, that at least 20 percent of divers with suspected skin bends may also experience visual disturbances, weakness, confusion or other neurological symptoms that require recompression treatments. It is important that divers do not overlook these symptoms. DAN always recommends a thorough medical evaluation and appropriate treatment of divers with suspected skin bends.
— Travis Ward, EMT-P
Posted in Alert Diver Summer Editions
Posted in dry suits, DCS Decompressions sickness, Skin Bends, Skin rash, Bruising, Cutaneous decompression, Oxygen therapy
Posted in dry suits, DCS Decompressions sickness, Skin Bends, Skin rash, Bruising, Cutaneous decompression, Oxygen therapy
Categories
2024
February
March
April
May
October
My name is Rosanne… DAN was there for me?My name is Pam… DAN was there for me?My name is Nadia… DAN was there for me?My name is Morgan… DAN was there for me?My name is Mark… DAN was there for me?My name is Julika… DAN was there for me?My name is James Lewis… DAN was there for me?My name is Jack… DAN was there for me?My name is Mrs. Du Toit… DAN was there for me?My name is Sean… DAN was there for me?My name is Clayton… DAN was there for me?My name is Claire… DAN was there for me?My name is Lauren… DAN was there for me?My name is Amos… DAN was there for me?My name is Kelly… DAN was there for me?Get to Know DAN Instructor: Mauro JijeGet to know DAN Instructor: Sinda da GraçaGet to know DAN Instructor: JP BarnardGet to know DAN instructor: Gregory DriesselGet to know DAN instructor Trainer: Christo van JaarsveldGet to Know DAN Instructor: Beto Vambiane
November
Get to know DAN Instructor: Dylan BowlesGet to know DAN instructor: Ryan CapazorioGet to know DAN Instructor: Tyrone LubbeGet to know DAN Instructor: Caitlyn MonahanScience Saves SharksSafety AngelsDiving Anilao with Adam SokolskiUnderstanding Dive Equipment RegulationsDiving With A PFOUnderwater NavigationFinding My PassionDiving Deep with DSLRDebunking Freediving MythsCryptic FishImmersion Pulmonary OedemaSwimmer's EarMEMBER PROFILE: RAY DALIOAdventure Auntie: Yvette OosthuizenClean Our OceansWhat to Look for in a Dive Boat
2023
January
March
Terrific Freedive ModeKaboom!....The Big Oxygen Safety IssueScuba Nudi ClothingThe Benefits of Being BaldDive into Freedive InstructionCape Marine Research and Diver DevelopmentThe Inhaca Ocean Alliance.“LIGHTS, Film, Action!”Demo DiversSpecial Forces DiverWhat Dive Computers Don\'t Know | PART 2Toughing It Out Is Dangerous
April
July
August