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Chapter 15 — 6
SKIN MANIFESTATIONS of DCS
These are not common in scuba divers who wear wet suits.
Itching
of the arms and legs, sometimes with a rash, is not uncommon after deep
recompression chamber dives and with dry suits. This condition is probably due to gas
passing from the surrounding high pressure atmosphere into the skin. The condition is not
serious and requires no treatment.
In more severe DCS, nitrogen bubbles in the blood can obstruct blood supply to the skin,
causing patchy white, blue and pink areas – "
marbling
". Obstruction of the lymphatic system
(drainage of tissues) may produce
localised swelling of skin
.
GENERAL SYMPTOMS of DCS
Apathy
,
tiredness
,
malaise,
and a
generalised weakened state
are common observations in
many cases of DCS. In very severe cases there may be
generalised internal
haemorrhages,
shock
, and/or
death
.
DELAYED SYMPTOMS of DCS
Prolonged symptoms may be due to damaged nerve, spinal cord or brain (see above), body
tissues or bone (see Chapter 17). In these cases there can be a persistence or recurrence of
symptoms. Various psychological problems can also supervene on DCS. Even the stressful
treatments and peer recriminations can exact an emotional toll on divers. Anxiety states and
post-traumatic stress disorders are not uncommon sequelae