Impact of Hyperoxia and Involvement of the Immune System in Diving Accident

Imagine you're a diver, exploring the underwater world. Sometimes, things can go wrong, and a diver might experience what's known as decompression sickness, often called 'the bends'. To help treat this, doctors often use a special therapy where people breathe pure oxygen inside a high-pressure chamber. This is called hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Scientists are very interested in how oxygen, especially at higher levels found during diving or in special treatments, affects our bodies. They've found that sometimes oxygen can be very helpful, but in other situations, too much oxygen might have unexpected effects on our cells. Our team has already done some work that suggests diving itself, and the high oxygen levels involved, might cause tiny parts of our cells (called mitochondrial DNA) to show up in the blood. This could be a sign that some cells are stressed or damaged, and it might even kickstart our immune system – the body's natural defence.

The main aim of this study is to look more closely at how these oxygen levels affect both healthy divers and divers who have had an accident. We want to compare what happens in their bodies when they receive oxygen therapy, particularly looking at different oxygen pressures. By doing this, we hope to learn more about how our bodies react to oxygen and find the best ways to use oxygen therapy to help divers recover safely and effectively from diving accidents.