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. 1988 Jan;15(1):31-7.

Treatment of decompression sickness with a perfluorocarbon emulsion (FC-43)

B D Spiess  1 , R J McCarthy, K J Tuman, A W Woronowicz, K A Tool, A D Ivankovich
Affiliations
  • PMID: 3368993

Treatment of decompression sickness with a perfluorocarbon emulsion (FC-43)

B D Spiess et al. Undersea Biomed Res. 1988 Jan.

Abstract

Decompression sickness is caused by the production of tissue and blood stream inert gas bubbles. Perfluorocarbon emulsions (PFC) have enhanced O2 and N2 solubilities as well as a small particle size as properties. The effects of treatment with a PFC (FC-43) and 100% oxygen on decompression sickness were investigated in 24 Sprague-Dawley rats compressed to 6.8 ATA and rapidly decompressed. Survival in animals receiving PFC and 100% oxygen was significantly longer (P = 0.01) than in those receiving a 6% hetastarch (H) treatment. The PFC survivors at 24 h did not demonstrate any neurologic deficits, whereas the 1 H animal surviving at 24 h was ataxic and not eating. Those animals who died most often did so within minutes after decompression, suggesting a hemodynamic demise. We conclude that PFC treatment when coupled with 100% oxygen breathing provides both hemodynamic and neurologic protection from decompression sickness.

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