Pathophysiology Arterial gas embolism is a major cause of death in diving and the initiating cause (pulmonary barotrauma) usually goes undetected. Caused most often by the expansion of respiratory gases during ascent, it also occurs when the breath is held during ascent from a dive, when there is local pulmonary pathology, when there is dynamic...

Caused by pulmonary barotrauma as the diver ascends, with bubbles getting into the pulmonary venous system and arterial circulation from rupture of alveoli. This can happen in as little as 4 feet of water if the diver holds the breath while ascending with compressed air Ocular symptoms generally come from cerebral defects posterior to the...