Topic > Decompression Sickness Case Study - 530

1. Delilah's possible disorder is decompression sickness because she has been scuba diving and now feels tired, numbness, dizziness and even a rash on her body.2. Decompression sickness affects people who change altitude frequently, such as aviators, astronauts, and scuba divers. Nitrogen makes up 70% of the air around us, but at lower levels, the air pressure is higher, so our body tissues absorb more hydrogen at these levels. During the ascent, the pressure decreases and nitrogen is exhaled from our body, but if the ascent occurs too quickly for the hydrogen to be exhaled, bubbles form (like when opening a carbonated drink) which can stick to the blood and fabrics. The main factor influencing it is the reduction of ambient pressure, for example during rapid ascents or deep/long dives. Age is closely related to this as older people tend to have a higher risk of disease because older people tend to have less efficient circulatory and respiratory systems. Another risk factor is the amount of body fat a person has since body fat tends to absorb nitrogen and...