Characteristics of patients with decompression illness at the hyperbaric polyclinic of Prof IGNG Ngoerah General Hospital Bali before the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Decompression illness (DCI) is an injury suffered by divers due to the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues during or after a pressure drop in the surrounding environment when diving. Bali is one of the most famous diving spots in Southeast Asia and also has a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) center in Prof. IGNG Ngoerah General Hospital. This study aims to determine the characteristic of DCI patients at the Hyperbaric Polyclinic in Prof. IGNG Ngoerah General Hospital, Denpasar, Bali before the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive retrospective study has conducted by descriptive retrospective by collecting administrative data at the Hyperbaric Polyclinic of Prof. IGNG Ngoerah General Hospital in 2018-2019. The required examination data are demographic data, diver profiles, DCI characteristics, and the previous therapy. Data analysis using SPSS Version 24. Most DCI patients in this study were foreigner (88.1%), men (53.2%), normal BMI (37.3%), no prior history of disease (88.9%), diving depth  >20 meters (n=79, 62.7%), average surface interval 101,184 minutes (30-1440 minutes), diving duration 1-3 hours (n=69.54.8%), DCI type 2 (58.7%) with major severity (57.9%). Of the overall patients, 14.3% rapid ascent, 2.4% panicked while diving, 10.3% made flights and 6.3% climbed after diving.