Danish diving-related fatalities 1999-2012

作者：Vinkel Julie^*; Bak Peter; Hyldegaard Ole

来源：Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, 2016, 46(3): 142-149.

• Diving injuries
• diving deaths
• buoyancy
• drowning
• scuba diving
• root cause analysis

Aim: The purpose was to explore causative tendencies among diving fatalities to prevent similar injuries in the future.
Methods: We report 33 fatal diving injuries that occurred among Danish divers during the period 1999-2012 in Scandinavian waters. The study was performed as a retrospective overview. The empiric data consists of police reports, forensic autopsy reports and examination of the diving equipment. Data were assembled and analyzed using Pivot and Excel. Frequencies and means (+/- SD) were used to describe categorical and continuous variables respectively.
Results: The mean age was 38.9 years and drowning was considered the cause of death in 24 of 28 divers for whom a diagnosis was possible. Elevated body mass index (18 of 22 divers had a BMI > 25) was overrepresented in our group compared to the background population. A drysuit was worn by 17 divers. Diving independently of a dive centre and mishandling of buoyancy aids were common risk factors. Only two divers released their weights. Three-quarters of those who did not would have increased their chance of survival by doing so; nevertheless, in a quarter of cases the weights were not readily releasable or not releasable at all.
Conclusion: Unfamiliarity with drysuit diving, lack of a diving buddy and mismanagement of weights were important contributors to diving injuries.

• 出版日期2016-9