![]() ![]() To prevent pulmonary overinflation, gas in the lungs must be exhaled during ascent. A volume of gas at 30 m of depth (4 ATA) will quadruple in volume at the surface. For example, a volume of gas at 10 m of depth, or 2.0 atmospheric absolute pressure (ATA), will double in volume at the surface (1 ATA). In accordance with Boyle’s Law, gas in the lungs will expand as environmental pressure is reduced during ascent. Pulmonary barotrauma is a well-recognized risk of compressed air diving in the military and civilian diving communities. ![]() Chest CT with inspiratory and expiratory sequences should be used to screen dive candidates on a case-by-case basis and to evaluate lung injury and predisposing pulmonary conditions following pulmonary barotrauma. In cases of acute pulmonary barotrauma, chest radiographs may be used to screen for thoracic injury. The risk of pulmonary barotrauma may be decreased through adequate training and thorough medical screening to include assessing for symptoms of infection before every dive. Diving-related pulmonary barotrauma occurs most often secondary to breath-holding on ascent by inexperienced divers and is one of the most common diving injuries seen in BUD/S candidates. Two months after the diving injury, chest CT showed resolution of the pulmonary hemorrhage and pneumatoceles. A subsequent computerized tomography (CT) scan of the chest showed multifocal areas of peripheral pulmonary hemorrhage associated with small pneumatoceles. A chest radiograph showed a left upper lobe peripheral wedge-shaped opacity abutting the pleural surface. Navy Ensign and Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) candidate who experienced pulmonary barotrauma following two shallow dives to a maximum depth of 18 feet of seawater using the MK-25 100% oxygen rebreather. We present a case of a 26-year-old male U.S. Chest imaging is a beneficial adjunct to clinical evaluation in screening select individuals for fitness to dive, evaluating dive-related injuries, and safely returning individuals to diving duty. Pulmonary barotrauma of ascent is a well-recognized risk of compressed air diving in the civilian and military diving communities. ![]()
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