Self-reported headache during saturation diving
Englund, Martin LU
and Risberg, Jan
(2003)
In Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine
74(3).
p.236-241
- Abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Some commercial divers have claimed that headache is a frequent symptom related to decompression following a saturation dive, but due to lack of systematic reporting there is limited knowledge of the incidence and clinical characteristics of such headaches. METHODS: During 2001, a questionnaire was distributed to divers participating in offshore saturation diving operations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Two major diving contractors participated. The survey allowed anonymous self-reporting of past and present problems with headache; pain intensity was indicated daily on a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. Of 95 divers, 56 participated and 67 saturations were registered. RESULTS: The divers estimated a higher... (More)
- INTRODUCTION: Some commercial divers have claimed that headache is a frequent symptom related to decompression following a saturation dive, but due to lack of systematic reporting there is limited knowledge of the incidence and clinical characteristics of such headaches. METHODS: During 2001, a questionnaire was distributed to divers participating in offshore saturation diving operations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Two major diving contractors participated. The survey allowed anonymous self-reporting of past and present problems with headache; pain intensity was indicated daily on a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. Of 95 divers, 56 participated and 67 saturations were registered. RESULTS: The divers estimated a higher frequency of headaches in connection to saturation diving than in everyday life (p < 0.001). One third of the divers reported experiencing headache after they finished decompression. There was a significant increase in reports of headache on the last day of decompression (p = 0.03) and on the first day post-saturation (p < 0.001) compared with the start of decompression. Median headache duration was 6 h (range 1-84 h) and median pain score estimated on a VAS was 2.5 (range 0.1-7.8), equivalent to moderate intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Headache incidence is greater in divers during saturation diving than in everyday life. The increase is correlated to the last phase of decompression and the post-saturation period. No specific cause(s) of the headache could be identified, but we discuss possible explanations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1127221
- author
- Englund, Martin
LU
and Risberg, Jan
- organization
- publishing date
- 2003
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine
- volume
- 74
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 236 - 241
- publisher
- Aerospace Medical Association
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:12650270
- scopus:0037338563
- ISSN
- 1943-4448
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 24c20118-8722-4362-8104-092bb24d04a3 (old id 1127221)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 11:49:39
- date last changed
- 2022-01-26 18:52:22
@article{24c20118-8722-4362-8104-092bb24d04a3,
abstract = {{INTRODUCTION: Some commercial divers have claimed that headache is a frequent symptom related to decompression following a saturation dive, but due to lack of systematic reporting there is limited knowledge of the incidence and clinical characteristics of such headaches. METHODS: During 2001, a questionnaire was distributed to divers participating in offshore saturation diving operations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Two major diving contractors participated. The survey allowed anonymous self-reporting of past and present problems with headache; pain intensity was indicated daily on a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 10. Of 95 divers, 56 participated and 67 saturations were registered. RESULTS: The divers estimated a higher frequency of headaches in connection to saturation diving than in everyday life (p < 0.001). One third of the divers reported experiencing headache after they finished decompression. There was a significant increase in reports of headache on the last day of decompression (p = 0.03) and on the first day post-saturation (p < 0.001) compared with the start of decompression. Median headache duration was 6 h (range 1-84 h) and median pain score estimated on a VAS was 2.5 (range 0.1-7.8), equivalent to moderate intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Headache incidence is greater in divers during saturation diving than in everyday life. The increase is correlated to the last phase of decompression and the post-saturation period. No specific cause(s) of the headache could be identified, but we discuss possible explanations.}},
author = {{Englund, Martin and Risberg, Jan}},
issn = {{1943-4448}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{236--241}},
publisher = {{Aerospace Medical Association}},
series = {{Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine}},
title = {{Self-reported headache during saturation diving}},
volume = {{74}},
year = {{2003}},
}