Question Pulse+Oxigen

[Newbie2020]

Dear all,

I am doing an Online Course where we are running experiments to verify assumptions.

I‘d be really happy if at least a few people could answer and comment rapidly.

First Question:
Is my assumption true, that in scuba diving the pulse and oxigen level in blood are under pressure and could become dangerous?

Second question:
Is my assumption true, that it would make sense to measure pulse and oxigen level in blood during the diving process?

Third question:
Would you buy a wireless oximetry device?

Forth question:
If yes, would you prefer it integrated in a form of a watch on the wrist or a device integrated in your diving gloves?

Thank you so much in advance for any very quick feedback!!!

Merci+kind regards,
Jeanine

 

[tbone1004]

1. what does that mean? Your whole body is under pressure, but how would it become dangerous?

2. there has not been any data that indicates any correlation of heart rate to anything specific to diving. Your blood if normal should maintain O2 saturation above 98% in a ppO2 of 0.21. When diving, with very few exceptions in extreme technical diving, always breathing at ppO2's above 0.21 which would not increase your O2 saturation but certainly shouldn't decrease it.

3. I own a pulse-ox and I think it's an incredibly valuable diagnostic tool at the surface, but don't see any benefit in paying attention to it underwater.

4. kind of hard to measure either of them over gloves which would severely reduce your sample size, and integrating to gloves would be irritating and of questionable reliability.

My question. Why do you think that pulse is relevant to diving? What do you think would happen to O2 saturation when diving that would be relevant?

 

[Newbie2020]

Wow!! Thank you so much for your prompt reply! That‘s so great!
Actually I have zero experience with diving and my assumption was that aeroembolism might have something to do with a change in oxigen level in blood. And I heard that people who come close to this issue don‘t feel in danger that‘s why they get in danger. The idea was if anything could measure and warn them before they get in the area of danger could be useful? If not, don‘t worry.

Thank you! Any kind of feedback to my 5 questions is so valuable!!

 

[BrackaFish]

I have used pulse oxs in hospital settings and I do not believe that they would be useful underwater because,
1. Most of the time pulse rate is irrelevant. My wife’s resting heart rate runs in the high 50s and mine is in the mid 90s but that does not affect our diving

2. open circuit divers that develop oxygen toxicity would not have that show up on a pulse ox as it would already be reading close to 100% during the dive.

3. RB divers might use pulse ox as it could warn of impending hypoxia due to a too low FiO2 mix.

Good luck with your course

 

[CuriousRambler]

Arterial gas embolisms (which is what the diving industry calls "aeroembolisms") have little to nothing to do with oxygen. When breathing compressed gasses under pressure (at depth), your body still metabolizes oxygen. Some of it certainly dissolves into tissue, but the tissues still metabolize that dissolved oxygen. The bigger cause for gas embolisms would be dissolved inert gasses - typically nitrogen, but more advanced forms of diving frequently use helium as well. When the pressure is reduced - i.e. you reduce your depth - the dissolved inert gasses want to come out of solution in your tissues. This can lead to AGE/aeroembolism.

Assume for a second you managed to create a pure oxygen embolism with no inert gasses present; you're now blocking a blood passage with a gas that your body will metabolize. I'm not suggesting an oxygen embolism is no big deal, but the blocking bubble would likely be gradually consumed by the very tissue it's starving of bloodflow. Eventually, this problem would "cure" itself. If you have a nitrogen/helium embolism, the only treatment is often hyperbaric recompression to reduce the bubble size and allow it to pass the blockage and restore bloodflow.

I can't imagine any situation where monitoring blood oxygen levels would provide any insights or safety improvements regarding embolisms, since it won't tell you anything about your inert gas loading, which is the real threat mode.

I also think the statement "people who come close to this issue don‘t feel in danger that‘s why they get in danger" is 100% false. Most divers are acutely aware of the threat of embolisms, and are trained from day one to avoid decompression sickness - a term that includes arterial gas embolisms and a few other potential medical issues that can result from diving.

 

[Newbie2020]

I have used pulse oxs in hospital settings and I do not believe that they would be useful underwater because,
1. Most of the time pulse rate is irrelevant. My wife’s resting heart rate runs in the high 50s and mine is in the mid 90s but that does not affect our diving

2. open circuit divers that develop oxygen toxicity would not have that show up on a pulse ox as it would already be reading close to 100% during the dive.

3. RB divers might use pulse ox as it could warn of impending hypoxia due to a too low FiO2 mix.

Good luck with your course

Thank you so much for your reply and insights, Very appreciated. I‘ve learned a lot of new things. My excercise is done. I’ve understood my idea was nonsense. So thanks again for the quick learning, stay safe and have fun! Merci+ kr, Jeanine

 

[Newbie2020]

Arterial gas embolisms (which is what the diving industry calls "aeroembolisms") have little to nothing to do with oxygen. When breathing compressed gasses under pressure (at depth), your body still metabolizes oxygen. Some of it certainly dissolves into tissue, but the tissues still metabolize that dissolved oxygen. The bigger cause for gas embolisms would be dissolved inert gasses - typically nitrogen, but more advanced forms of diving frequently use helium as well. When the pressure is reduced - i.e. you reduce your depth - the dissolved inert gasses want to come out of solution in your tissues. This can lead to AGE/aeroembolism.

Assume for a second you managed to create a pure oxygen embolism with no inert gasses present; you're now blocking a blood passage with a gas that your body will metabolize. I'm not suggesting an oxygen embolism is no big deal, but the blocking bubble would likely be gradually consumed by the very tissue it's starving of bloodflow. Eventually, this problem would "cure" itself. If you have a nitrogen/helium embolism, the only treatment is often hyperbaric recompression to reduce the bubble size and allow it to pass the blockage and restore bloodflow.

I can't imagine any situation where monitoring blood oxygen levels would provide any insights or safety improvements regarding embolisms, since it won't tell you anything about your inert gas loading, which is the real threat mode.

I also think the statement "people who come close to this issue don‘t feel in danger that‘s why they get in danger" is 100% false. Most divers are acutely aware of the threat of embolisms, and are trained from day one to avoid decompression sickness - a term that includes arterial gas embolisms and a few other potential medical issues that can result from diving.

Thank you so much as well, it was a great read and learning input. Very appreciated! You 3 helped me within about a blink of an eye to non-validate my idea. That‘s perfectly fine, and I know a lot more now! Thanks again, stay safe and happy. Merci+ kr, Jeanine

 

[BrackaFish]

Thank you so much for your reply and insights, Very appreciated. I‘ve learned a lot of new things. My excercise is done. I’ve understood my idea was nonsense. So thanks again for the quick learning, stay safe and have fun! Merci+ kr, Jeanine

Ideas are not nonsense, but sometimes they do not work out the way we think they might. So never stop having ideas as there is no telling what you may discover. Be safe