The Physician’s Guide to Diving Medicine

The longstanding need for a substantial clinical resource in diving medicine has been met by this book from the Undersea Medical Society. The 38 contributors and 15 reviewers are all authorities, and the book is well edited. Millions of sportsmen and women now dive with a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, and along with Navy, commercial, and scientific divers, are subject to medical problems unfamiliar to most physicians. Some conditions, like gas embolism and decompression sickness, can result in permanent injury or death if not promptly diagnosed and properly treated. This guide was written primarily for physicians who are divers themselves. SCUBA diving is an activity that can be strenuous and hazardous. The diver must be free of cardiovascular and respiratory disease. An absolute requirement is the ability of the lungs, middle ear and sinuses to readily equalize pressure. The most common cause of distress while diving is eustachian insufficiency. Most fatalities involve deficiencies in prudence, judgment, emotional stability or physical fitness.