If DCI does happen, proper treatment is very important. First aid for DCI is immediate administration of 100% oxygen either through a demand mask that cover’s the patient’s face and delivers oxygen when the patient breathes. If the patient cannot tolerate a demand mask, a nonbreatheable, free-flow mask can be used with a flow rate [...]

The risk of DCI exists with each diver and each dive no matter if it’s a short no decompression dive to 60 feet (18 m) or a staged decompression dive to 200 feet (61 m). Even if you follow all of the rules, your computer or dive tables, your decompression schedule, and ascend properly, DCI [...]

Preventing DCI one hundred percent is not probable or realistic. DCI can occur even when you follow all of the guidelines and safety factors and your day to day body physiology can change, which can increase or decease your susceptibility of getting DCI. There are a number of things you can do to limit the [...]

There are a number of predisposing factors that can lead to decompression illness even when all of the appropriate guidelines and safety factors are followed. Some factors are at the mercy of the environment, such as water temperature and elevation. Other factors are physiological and pertain to each individual person, which can change from day [...]

DCI is typically classified into two categories: Type I DCI and Type II DCI. Type I DCI is considered pain only and other mild symptoms, where Type II DCI is considered central nervous system involvement and very serious. Sometimes it’s very difficult to determine what type of DCI it is unless you’re professionally trained in [...]