5The following forms of compressed air illness are most commonly

5 The following forms of compressed air illness are most commonly encountered: (1) ‘Bends’ are the most common form of compressed air illness. These are painful and sometimes acute manifestations of the illness that affect 1 or more limbs. They are not dangerous unless both arms or legs are effected, that may indicate a bubble in the spinal cord. Bends are most likely to occur in muscles that have been the hardest worked. The pain begins gradually, but may rapidly assume a very painful climax which, unless relieved by recompression, may be sufficiently severe to make the person cry out. Any symptom of a ‘bend’ should be treated by recompression at the earliest possible moment. The longer recompression is delayed the more difficult will be the cure.

Symptoms and treatment of compressed air illness Schedule 9 (2) Severe pains in the chest or abdomen. The pain in the chest may be accompanied by short, quick, gasping breathing, and the pain in the abdomen may lead to vomiting. (3) Paralysis of the legs and arms. This is a very serious symptom, and unless relieved may lead to permanent loss of use of the limbs. (4) Other forms are faintness or unconsciousness, jerky movements of the eye or loss of sight, deafness, swelling of the body, loss of speech. These forms are less common. Symptoms to be reported