Hyperbaric oxygenation is the administration of 100% O2 for several hours in a sealed chamber with a pressure of more than 1 atm, which is gradually reduced to atmospheric pressure.
Decompression sickness occurs when there is a rapid decrease in pressure (for example, when surfacing from depth, exiting a caisson or pressure chamber, or ascending to altitude).
Ionizing exposure may be accompanied by physical injury (e.g. from an explosion or a fall); the accompanying injury may be more life-threatening than the radiation exposure and requires priority treatment.
Ionizing radiation damages tissues in different ways, depending on the type of radiation, its dose, degree, and type of external exposure. Symptoms can be local (e.g. burns) or systemic (in particular, acute radiation sickness).
A lightning strike to a person can cause cardiac arrest, loss of consciousness, and temporary or permanent neurological damage. Severe burns and damage to internal organs are rare.
Arterial gas embolism is a potentially catastrophic event that occurs when gas bubbles enter or form in the arterial system and occlude the lumen of the vessels, causing organ ischemia.
In the United States, there are over 1,000 diving-related injuries each year, of which >10% are fatal. Similar injuries can occur to workers in tunnels or caissons that use compressed air to remove water from work areas.
