Publications

Selected scientific publications on diving medicine and physiology.

2012 Oca 1
Dive Computer Use in Recreational Diving: Insights from the DAN-DSL Database
Balestra C.

Data from the DAN Europe Diving Safety Laboratory (DSL) suggest that approximately 95% of recreational diving is carried out today using a dive computer. The most widely dived computers/algorithms, irrespective of brand, use the Bühlmann ZHL-16 or the Wienke RGBM algorithm, with roughly a 50/50 distribution across the DSL population. The vast majority of the 167 recorded decompression sickness (DCS) cases occurred without any significant violation of the respective algorithm’s limits, i.e., most occurred while using gradient factors that were well below the maximum allowed by the algorithm.

Read more

2014 Kas 30
Diving at altitude: From definition to practice
Egi S.M., Pieri M., Marroni A.

Diving above sea level has different motivations for recreational, military, commercial and scientific activities. Despite the apparently wide practice of inland diving, there are three major discrepancies about diving at altitude: threshold elevation that requires changes in sea level procedures; upper altitude limit of the applicability of these modifications; and independent validation of altitude adaptation methods of decompression algorithms. The first problem is solved by converting the normal fluctuation in barometric pressure to an altitude equivalent.

Read more

2004 Şub 1
Scuba diving can induce stress of the temporomandibular joint leading to headache
Balestra C., Germonpré P., Marroni A., Snoeck T.

In ordinary recreational scuba diving, many anatomical parts can be involved in disorders of cranial regions: ears and eyes are involved but also sinuses. Dental problems are generally involved in barotraumas because of bad dental fillings or other matters of interest to the general dental practitioner.

Read more

2010 Oca 1
The ‘normobaric oxygen paradox’: a simple way to induce endogenous erythropoietin production and concomitantly raise hemoglobin levels in anemic patients.
Balestra C., Germonpré P., Lafere P., Ciccarella Y., Van Der Linden P.

The ‘normobaric oxygen paradox’: a simple way to induce endogenous erythropoietin production and concomitantly raise hemoglobin levels in anemic patients.

Read more

2013 Mar 1
The ‘normobaric oxygen paradox’: another potential way to use oxygen. CME activity 2013/1.
Balestra C

The 'normobaric oxygen paradox': Another potential way to use oxygen.

Read more