Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39675736›Full record

ArticleDiving and hyperbaric medicine2024

Modelling the risk factors for accidents in recreational divers: results from a cross-sectional evaluation in Belgium.

Kurt G Tournoy, Martijn Vandebotermet, Philippe Neuville, Peter Germonpré

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Diving and hyperbaric medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Kurt G TournoyGhent University, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Ghent, Belgium.
Martijn VandebotermetDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, General Hospital Groeninge, Kortrijk, Belgium.
Philippe NeuvilleGeneral Physician, Ostend, Belgium.
Peter GermonpréCentre for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Military Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Characterisation of the recreational diving community could help to identify scuba divers at risk for accidents. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional evaluation in a federation for recreational scuba divers in Belgium (Duiken.Vlaanderen). Using binary logistic regression, factors predictive for accidents leading to hospitalisation were identified. Results: Of the 710 members, 210 (29.6%) participated in the survey, representing 140,133 dives. Age was > 50 years in 55% and the median (interquartile range [IQR]) number of dives was 380 (IQR 140-935). Cardiac (9.5%), orthopaedic (11.0%), ear-nose-throat (ENT, 10.5%) and allergic diseases (30.5%) were the top four morbidities. Twenty percent reported taking cardiovascular medication. Decompression accidents, barotrauma of the ear and musculoskeletal injuries were reported in 11.0, 11.9 and 11.0%. Fifty-five divers (26.2%) reported incidents not necessitating a medical intervention. For 36 divers (17.1%), medical interventions were necessary. Among these, 13 divers (6.2%) were hospitalised at least once and 12 (5.7%) of these needed hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). The absolute risk for hospitalisation or HBOT was 0.01% per dive. Age, advanced diving qualification, more dives annually, cardiac or ENT pathology and cardiac medication were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of hospitalisation resulting from diving accidents. In a multivariate risk model, ENT comorbidity (odds ratio [OR] 9.3; P = 0.006) and cardiac medication (OR 5.6; P = 0.05) predicted hospitalisation due to a diving accident. Conclusions: One in six recreational scuba divers required a medical intervention at least once during their career, while 6.2% were hospitalised or received HBOT. Ear nose and throat comorbidity and cardiac medication were strong predictors for accidents. These should be given sufficient weight in dive medical examination.

Indexed as

BarotraumaDecompression SicknessDivingHospitalizationAccidentsAdultAgedAge FactorsBelgiumCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLogistic ModelsMaleMiddle AgedOtorhinolaryngologic DiseasesDiving incidentsDiving medicineDiving researchENTEpidemiologyFitness to diveHealth surveys

Identifiers

PMID39675736
PMCPMC12018701

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.