A person with severe decompression sickness (DCS) may develop cardiovascular problems.
Pathophysiology: microbubbles in circulation, affecting the heart, blood vessels and/or nervous tissue affecting sympathetic tone
Cardiovascular findings may include:
(1) arrhythmia (first degree AV block, etc)
(2) shock with circulatory collapse, including postdecompression collapse (collapse following altitude-related decompression and return to normal pressure environment)
(3) extreme hemoconcentration (with markedly elevated hematocrit, secondary to endothelial damage and intravascular fluid loss)
If associated with other Type II DCS then it is termed secondary.
If not associated with other Type II DCS then it is termed primary.
A feature of the shock and/or hemoconcentration is a poor response to fluid replacement.
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