Publications

Selected scientific publications on diving medicine and physiology.

2015 May 1
Decompression induced bubble dynamics on ex vivo fat and muscle tissue surfaces with a new experimental set up
Papadopoulou V, Evgenidis S, Eckersley RJ, Mesimeris T, Balestra C, Kostoglou M, Tang MX, Karapantsios TD.

Vascular gas bubbles are routinely observed after scuba dives using ultrasound imaging, however the precise formation mechanism and site of these bubbles are still debated and growth from decompression in vivo has not been extensively studied, due in part to imaging difficulties...

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2015 Ara 1
Cutis Marmorata skin decompression sickness is a manifestation of brainstem bubble embolization, not of local skin bubbles.
Germonpre P, Balestra C, Obeid G, Caers D.

"Cutis Marmorata" skin symptoms after diving, most frequently in the form of an itching or painful cutaneous red-bluish discoloration are commonly regarded as a mild form of decompression sickness (DCS), and treated with oxygen inhalation without reverting to hyperbaric recompression treatment...

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2015 Mar 1
Flying after diving: should recommendations be reviewed? In-flight echocardiographic study in bubble-prone and bubble-resistant divers.
Cialoni D, Pieri M, Balestra C, Marroni A.

INTRODUCTION: Inert gas accumulated after multiple recreational dives can generate tissue supersaturation and bubble formation when ambient pressure decreases. We hypothesized that this could happen even if divers respected the currently recommended 24-hour pre-flight surface interval (PFSI)...

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2015 Oca 22
Genetic predisposition to breath-hold diving-induced hemoptysis: Preliminary study
Cialoni D, Marabotti C, Sponsiello N, Pieri M, Balestra C, Lucchini V, Marroni A.

INTRODUCTION: Breath-hold diving-induced hemoptysis (BH-DIH) has been reported in about 25% breath-hold divers (BHD) and is characterized by dyspnea, coughing, hemoptysis and chest pain. We investigated whether eNOS G894T, eNOS T786C and ACE insertion/deletion I/D genetic variants, are possible BH-DIH risk factors...

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2015 Tem 1
Heart rate variability and critical flicker fusion frequency changes during and after parachute jumping in experienced skydivers.
Cavalade, Papadopoulou V, Theunissen S, Balestra C.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was (1) to further explore the heart rate dynamics and assess a potential cardiovascular risk in response to 4000 m jumps in experienced skydivers; (2) to assess whether there is an impact of such jumps on skydivers' cortical arousal or not, which may impact their decision making processes...

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