What is the primary treatment for decompression sickness?

The primary treatment for decompression sickness is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This therapy involves placing the affected individual in a hyperbaric chamber where they breathe pure oxygen at pressures greater than normal atmospheric pressure. This approach is crucial for several reasons:

Firstly, it helps to reduce the size of nitrogen bubbles that form in the bloodstream and tissues during a decompression event, thereby alleviating symptoms and preventing further complications. Secondly, it enhances the amount of oxygen carried in the blood, which is vital for healing damaged tissues that may be affected by gas emboli. Additionally, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been shown to improve the body's ability to removes nitrogen from the tissues, facilitating recovery from decompression sickness more effectively than other treatments.

Other options, such as cold compress therapy, antibiotics, and oral rehydration solutions, do not address the underlying causes of decompression sickness effectively and are not considered primary treatments. Cold compress therapy may provide some symptomatic relief for pain but does not treat the underlying gas bubbles. Antibiotics are used to treat infections but do not impact the gaseous complications of decompression sickness. Oral rehydration solutions can assist with hydration but do not affect the nitrogen bubbles formed in the body. Therefore, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the