Diving –
Decompression Illness

Decompression illness (DCI) results from the development of gas bubbles within the body. When we dive, excess gas is dissolved in our blood and body tissues to the higher partial pressure of the gases in our lungs. DCI can cause paralysis, convulsions, unconsciousness and death. The definitive treatment for decompression illness is recompression in a chamber breathing as high a concentration of oxygen as possible.