Certified Hyperbaric Technologist Practice Test

Can DCS be both caused and treated within a hyperbaric chamber?

1. False, it can only be treated outside of a hyperbaric chamber

2. True, it can be both caused and treated in the chamber

3. True, but it needs special equipment outside the chamber

4. False, it requires normal atmospheric pressure to treat

The correct answer is: True, it can be both caused and treated in the chamber

Decompression sickness (DCS) is a condition that occurs when a diver ascends too quickly from depths, causing nitrogen absorbed at higher pressures to come out of solution and form bubbles in the body. This can lead to a variety of symptoms and complications. A hyperbaric chamber is specifically designed to provide a controlled environment where pressure can be increased, allowing for the safe treatment of DCS through a process called hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). In this therapeutic setting, the symptoms of DCS can be addressed by increasing the ambient pressure, which helps to dissolve nitrogen bubbles back into the bloodstream and facilitates its elimination from the body through respiration. In this way, the hyperbaric chamber is not only the environment where DCS is treated, but also, in certain cases, problems related to poorly managed ascent or dive tables can be exacerbated within the same environment if safety protocols are not followed. This dual role of the hyperbaric chamber underlines its critical importance in both the occurrence and management of DCS, proving that it can indeed both cause and treat the condition.