Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34547777›Full record

Observational studyDiving and hyperbaric medicine2021

Regular medication use by active scuba divers with a declared comorbid medical condition and victims of scuba and snorkelling-related fatalities.

Simone E Taylor, David M Taylor, Daisy Pisasale, Kyle Booth, John Lippmann

Open access · greenAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Diving and hyperbaric medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Simone E TaylorPharmacy Department, Austin Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
David M TaylorEmergency Department, Austin Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Daisy PisasalePharmacy Department, Austin Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Kyle BoothPharmacy Department, Eastern Health, Victoria, Australia.
John LippmannAustralasian Diving Safety Foundation, Ashburton, Victoria, Australia.
Austin Hospital · AUAustralasian College for Emergency Medicine · AUEastern Health · AUThe University of Melbourne · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe aim of this study was to describe the nature of regular medications taken by active comorbid scuba divers (having a declared medical comorbidity) and scuba divers and snorkellers who died following a diving incident.

methodsWe undertook a retrospective, observational study from July to October, 2020. Data on 268 active comorbid divers were obtained through a 2013 survey of Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific members. Data on 126 deceased scuba divers and 175 deceased snorkellers were obtained predominantly from 2001-2013 reports to Australian State Coronial Services.

resultsThe active comorbid divers were significantly older, less likely to be male, and more likely to be taking one or more medications than the two deceased subject groups (P < 0.001). Cardiovascular, endocrine and psychotropic medications accounted for 53.4%, 9.9% and 6.4% of all medications taken, respectively. Almost one tenth of the deceased divers took at least one psychotropic medication, a proportion significantly greater than the other groups (P = 0.01).

conclusionsMedication use among active comorbid divers is common which likely reflects their declared medical condition. Nevertheless, they appear to be diving relatively safely, often with conditions once thought to be absolute contradictions to scuba diving. The deceased divers took significantly more psychotropic medications. It is possible that their underlying psychological/psychiatric conditions rendered them more at risk of a diving incident. Increased vigilance for psychological conditions may need to be considered during diving medical examinations.

Indexed as

DivingDrowningAustraliaCause of DeathHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesDAN – Divers Alert NetworkDiving deathsDiving incidentsHealth statusPharmacologyRecreational diving

Identifiers

PMID34547777
PMCPMC8608444
OpenAlexW3199540608

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.