Publications

Selected scientific publications on diving medicine and physiology.

2016 Sep 5
A red orange extract modulates the vascular response to a recreational dive: a pilot study on the effect of anthocyanins on the physiological consequences of scuba diving.
Balestra C, Cimino F, Theunissen S, Snoeck T, Provyn S, Canali R, Bonina A, Virgili F.

Nutritional antioxidants have been proposed as an expedient strategy to counter the potentially deleterious effects of scuba diving on endothelial function, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and heart function...

Read more

2016 Aug 1
Detection of venous gas emboli after repetitive breath hold dives “Case report”
Cialoni D., Pieri M., Giunchi G., Sponsiello N., Lanzone A.M., Torcello L., Boaretto G. and Marroni A.

Introduction: Neurological symptoms after breathhold (BH) diving are often referred to as "Taravana" and considered a form of decompression sickness. However, the presence of "high" gas embolism after BH diving has never been clearly shown. This study showed high bubble formation after BH diving. Materials and methods: We performed transthoracic echocardiography on a 53-year-old male spearfishing diver (180 cm; 80 kg; BMI 24.7) 15 minutes before diving and at 15-minute intervals for 90 minutes after diving in a 42-meter-deep pool. Number of dives, bottom time and surface intervals were freely determined by the diver. Dive profiles were digitally recorded for depth, time and surface interval, using a freediving computer. Relative surface interval (surface interval/diving time) and gradient factor were calculated.

Read more

2016 Jun 15
Commentaries on Viewpoint: Why predominantly neurological DCS in breath-hold divers?
Balestra C.

IPAVA RECRUITMENT CAN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF ARTERIALIZED MICROBUBBLES!

Read more

2016 Jun 1
Tenth European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine: preliminary report
Mathieu D, Marroni A, Kot J.

The tenth European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine took place in Lille, France, 14-16 April, 2016, attended by a large delegation of experts from Europe and elsewhere. The focus of the meeting was the revision of the European Committee on Hyperbaric Medicine (ECHM) list of accepted indications for hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT), based on a thorough review of the best available research and evidence-based medicine (EBM). For this scope, the modified GRADE system for evidence analysis, together with the DELPHI system for consensus evaluation, were adopted.

Read more

2016 May 15
Continuous real-time monitoring and recording of glycemia during scuba diving: pilot study
Pieri M, Cialoni D, Marroni A.

Insulin-dependent diabetes has been considered a scuba diving contraindication. This is currently being reconsidered for well-controlled diabetes. We developed a real-time continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to check glycemia, or blood glucose (BG), during diving, both for prospective studies and to increase diabetic diver safety, allowing for real-time control of glycemia and hypoglycemia prevention. To ensure CGM measurement accuracy we tested the method under hyperbaric conditions...

Read more