21-2 Change A
U.S. Navy Diving Manual—Volume 5
Primary:
Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU)
321 Bullfinch Road
Panama City, FL 32407-7015
Commercial (850) 230-3100 or (850) 235-1668, DSN 436-4351
Secondary:
Navy Diving Salvage and Training Center (NDSTC)
350 South Craig Rd.
Panama City, FL 32407-7015
Commercial (850) 234-4651, DSN 436-4651
21-1.5
Applicability of Recompression. The recompression procedures described in this
chapter are designed to handle most situations that will be encountered operation-
ally. They are applicable to both surface-supplied and scuba diving, whether on
air, nitrogen-oxygen, helium-oxygen, or 100 percent oxygen. For example, the
treatment of arterial gas embolism has little to do with the gas being breathed at
the time of the accident. Because all possible conditions cannot be anticipated,
additional medical expertise should be sought in all cases of decompression sick-
ness or arterial gas embolism that do not show substantial improvement on
standard treatment tables. Treatment of decompression sickness during saturation
dives is covered separately in Chapter 15 of this manual. Periodic evaluation of
U.S. Navy recompression treatment procedures has shown they are effective in
relieving symptoms over 90 percent of the time when used as published. Deviation
from these protocols shall be made only with the recommendation of a Diving
Medical Officer.
21-1.6
Recompression Treatment for Non-Diving Disorders. In addition to individuals
suffering from diving disorders, U.S. Navy recompression chambers are also
permitted to conduct hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy to treat individuals
suffering from cyanide poisoning, carbon monoxide poisoning, gas gangrene,
smoke inhalation, necrotizing soft-tissue infections, or arterial gas embolism
arising from surgery, diagnostic procedures, or thoracic trauma. If the chamber is
to be used for treatment of non-diving related medical conditions other than those
listed above, authorization from MED-21 shall be obtained before treatment
begins (BUMEDINST 6320.38). Any treatment of a non-diving related medical
condition shall be done under the cognizance of a Diving Medical Officer.
The guidelines given in Table 21-1 for conducting HBO2 therapy are taken from
the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society’s Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2)
Therapy Committee Report—1996: Approved Indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen
Therapy. For each condition, the guidelines prescribe the recommended Treatment
