scuba diving injury pulmonary barotrauma gas embolism

The video reveals a simulation of an alveolar rupture secondary to decompression with lungs full of air from the outset and the breath held (alveolus not sized to scale). In this simulation, starting pressure is approximately 1.2 ATA (6 fsw) and equalized across the alveolar membrane through the use of a multiplace hyperbaric chamber. Alveolar rupture occurs after pressure external to the model alveolus (latex membrane) is reduced by approximately 92 mmHg (4 fsw). This phenomenon occurred reliably across a range of starting pressures of up to 6 ATA (165 fsw). Such events occurring in humans (e.g., scuba divers) may lead to a serious clinical condition called arterial gas embolism. The mean pressure differential required to rupture the model alveolus (92 mmHg or 4 fsw) is similar to that estimated to cause the rupture of the human alveolus (80 mmHg or 3.47 fsw).