Diving medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on the medical needs of people who dive to various depths in both ocean and freshwater, including hyperbaric medicine. Practitioners must understand the effects of pressure on the human body and determine fitness to dive. They may also establish protocols for divers to follow and participate in forensic analysis to prevent future accidents. Physicians can specialize in diving medicine through residency and fellowship opportunities, including those provided by the military.
Diving medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on the medical needs of people who dive to various depths in both ocean and freshwater. This includes recreational divers, work crews, search and rescue teams, and others who may have a reason to be in the water. It also includes hyperbaric medicine, the use of pressurized chambers in medical therapy, as such chambers were originally developed to treat patients with medical problems related to diving accidents such as surfacing too quickly.
There are a number of components to diving medicine. Practitioners must have an intimate understanding of what happens to the human body under pressure, especially in very deep water. Gases dissolved in blood and tissue can begin to behave abnormally during a dive, whether divers resurface or descend. Doctors may also need to consider how medical conditions may interact with high blood pressure; a patient may be healthy on the surface, for example, but could be at risk in deep water.
Diving medicine also involves determining fitness to dive based on medical and travel histories. Before patients can dive safely, they must be cleared by doctors who can confirm that they will be able to dive without personal risk. Dive site conditions can also be a cause for concern. Divers can encounter hazards such as natural or man-made obstacles, such as protruding metal on an oil rig that could catch a diver and cause injury or trap them underwater. Underwater welding and other construction activities such as setting explosives can also pose medical risks.
In a workplace where diving takes place, a diving medicine specialist may establish protocols for divers to follow, including mandatory stops on the way to the surface to decompress for safety. Some job sites may keep medical personnel on hand to be available in the event of an accident if there is a safety concern. Diving medicine specialists may also participate in forensic analysis to determine how and why an accident occurred with the goal of preventing future accidents and determining legal liability.
Physicians who wish to specialize in diving medicine can pursue residency and fellowship opportunities. Many of the best options are in medical facilities near the ocean, where divers regularly work and play in the water and provide a constant supply of patients. The military can also provide advanced training in this field, along with research opportunities, for physicians interested in military service.
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