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Fish farming is a new industry that needs divers to maintain the cages in which the fish are kept.Dead fish in a cage provide a focus of infection for healthy fish and must be cleared out regularly.Some fish farmers think that the most effective method of clearing dead fish is with divers,but this new diving practice also has its problems.We report three anomalous cases of decompression sickness.The medical problems of compressed air diving are reviewed elsewhere.Decompression sickness is caused by the release of dissolved nitrogen from tissues during and after the ascent phase of the dive.The principal manifestations are joint pain or impairment of central nervous system function shortly after surfacing. Delay in starting recompression treatment may cause spinal paraplegia or cerebral damage.Using decompression tables reduces the likelihood of decompression sickness by predicting ascent rates and stoppages for given times and depths. |
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