Barotruamas

• barotraumas refer to the physical damage to body tissues caused by a difference in pressure between gas space inside, or in contact with the body and the surrounding fluid
• barotraumas can be of ascent or descent
• barotraumas of descent are caused by preventing the free change of volume of the gas in a closed space in contact with the diver, resulting in pressure difference between the tissues and the gas space, and the unbalanced force due to this pressure difference causes deformation of the tissue leading to cell rupture
• barotraumas of ascent are caused when the free change of volume of the gas in a closed space in contact with the diver is prevented. In this case, the pressure difference causes a resultant tension in the surrounding tissues which exceeds their tensile strength. Besides tissue rupture, the overpressure may cause ingress of gases into the tissues and further afeild through venus blood vessels