Question

You are by the side of a male patient who participated in​ deep-sea diving earlier in the day. The​ 32-year-old patient informs you that he thinks he pulled a muscle in his​ shoulder, which has been hurting more as the day goes on. When​ questioned, he admits to having a headache and blurred vision. You are suspicious of decompression sickness. Which statement made by the patient would be most significant given the​ situation?A. "I spent some time in a pocket of warm​ water."B. ​"While diving, I saw a shark and came up as fast as I​ could."C. ​"I took Tylenol before the dive for a​ headache."D. ​"I ate seafood the night​ before."

Answer 1

Answer: The statement made by the patient that would be most significant given the situation is letter B. while diving, I saw a shark and came up as fast as I could.

Explanation: When the patient swimmed back toward surface after a deep dive, the water pressure around him decresead. However, his transition happened so quickly that the nitrogen did not have time to clear from his blood. Instead, it separated out of his blood and created bubbles in his tissues or blood. Those nitrogen bubbles were responsible for his decompression sickness.

The other statement in letter A is a way of preventing and minimizing the risk of decompression sickness.