Patient who has recently gone diving (which should be sounding off alarms about decompression sickness (AKA โThe bendsโ)) who presents with weakness and neurologic symptoms concerning for decompression sickness
Key idea: Decompression sickness occurs when nitrogen dissolved in blood at high pressures of deep sea diving forms bubbles as pressure decreases due to rapid ascent to the surface and the bubbles lead to obstruction of blood vessels
Key idea: Potential symptoms of decompression sickness include signs similar to stroke (due to blood vessel blockage), flu-like symptoms, and swelling/pain in muscles and joints (remember association of decompression sickness with avascular necrosis of bone)
submitted by โstep_prep(148)
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