Compressed air disease (Caisson disease / decompression sickness) primarily results from:

• A Nitrogen narcosis causing CNS depression at high pressure
• B Rapid ascent causing dissolved nitrogen to form gas bubbles in tissues and blood ✓
• C Oxygen toxicity leading to seizures and pulmonary edema
• D Carbon dioxide accumulation in closed working environments

Explanation

Decompression sickness (Caisson disease) occurs during rapid ascent from high-pressure environments; nitrogen dissolved in tissues at depth forms bubbles when pressure decreases rapidly, causing joint pain ('bends'), neurological symptoms, pulmonary gas embolism ('chokes'). Treatment is recompression in a hyperbaric chamber. Nitrogen narcosis is a separate condition causing impaired judgment at depth during diving.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.