In medicine, ICD is the diffusion of gases in different directions that can increase the pressure inside open air spaces of the body and surrounding equipment.
Superficial ICD (also known as Steady State Isobaric Counterdiffusion) occurs when the inert gas breathed by the diver diffuses more slowly into the body than the inert gas surrounding the body.
Deep tissue ICD (also known as Transient Isobaric Counterdiffusion) occurs when different inert gases are breathed by the diver in sequence. The rapidly diffusing gas is transported into the tissue faster than the slower diffusing gas is transported out of the tissue.
An example of this was shown in the literature by Harvey in 1977 as divers switched from a nitrogen mixture to a helium mixture (diffusivity of helium is 2.65 times faster than nitrogen), they quickly developed itching followed by joint pain. Saturation divers breathing hydreliox switched to a heliox mixture and developed symptoms of decompression sickness during Hydra V. In 2003 Doolette and Mitchell described ICD as the basis for inner ear decompression sickness and suggest "breathing-gas switches should be scheduled deep or shallow to avoid the period of maximum supersaturation resulting from decompression". It can also happen when saturation divers breathing hydreliox switch to a heliox mixture.
There is another effect which can manifest as a result of the disparity in solubility between inert breathing gas diluents, which occurs in isobaric gas switches near the decompression ceiling between a low solubility gas (typically helium, and a higher solubility gas, typically nitrogen)
An inner ear decompression model by Doolette and Mitchell suggests that a transient increase in gas tension after a switch from helium to nitrogen in breathing gas may result from the difference in gas transfer between compartments. If the transport of nitrogen into the vascular compartment by perfusion exceeds removal of helium by perfusion, while transfer of helium into the vascular compartment by diffusion from the perilymph and endolymph exceeds the counterdiffusion of nitrogen, this may result in a temporary increase in total gas tension, as the input of nitrogen exceeds the removal of helium, which can result in bubble formation and growth. This model suggests that diffusion of gases from the middle ear across the round window is negligible. The model is not necessarily applicable to all tissue types.
Lambertsen made suggestions to help avoid ICD while diving. If the diver is surrounded by or saturated with nitrogen, they should not breathe helium rich gases. Lambertson also proposed that gas switches that involve going from helium rich mixtures to nitrogen rich mixtures would be acceptable, but changes from nitrogen to helium should include recompression. However Doolette and Mitchell's more recent study of inner ear decompression sickness (IEDCS) now shows that the inner ear may not be well-modelled by common (e.g. Bühlmann) algorithms. Doolette and Mitchell propose that a switch from a helium-rich mix to a nitrogen-rich mix, as is common in technical diving when switching from trimix to nitrox on ascent, may cause a transient supersaturation of inert gas within the inner ear and result in IEDCS. A similar hypothesis to explain the incidence of IEDCS when switching from trimix to nitrox was proposed by Steve Burton, who considered the effect of the much greater solubility of nitrogen than helium in producing transient increases in total inert gas pressure, which could lead to DCS under isobaric conditions. Recompression with oxygen is effective for relief of symptoms resulting from ICD. However, Burton's model for IEDCS does not agree with Doolette and Mitchell's model of the inner ear. Doolette and Mitchell model the inner ear using solubility coefficients close to that of water. They suggest that breathing-gas switches from helium-rich to nitrogen-rich mixtures should be carefully scheduled either deep (with due consideration to nitrogen narcosis) or shallow to avoid the period of maximum supersaturation resulting from the decompression. Switches should also be made during breathing of the largest inspired oxygen partial pressure that can be safely tolerated with due consideration to oxygen toxicity.
A similar hypothesis to explain the incidence of IEDCS when switching from trimix to nitrox was proposed by Steve Burton, who considered the effect of the much greater solubility of nitrogen than helium in producing transient increases in total inert gas pressure, which could lead to DCS under isobaric conditions.
Burton argues that effect of switching to Nitrox from Trimix with a large increase of nitrogen fraction at constant pressure has the effect of increasing the overall gas loading within particularly the faster tissues, since the loss of helium is more than compensated by the increase in nitrogen. This could cause immediate bubble formation and growth in the fast tissues. A simple rule for avoidance of ICD when gas switching at a decompression ceiling is suggested:
This rule has been found to successfully avoid ICD on hundreds of deep trimix dives.
Hamilton, Robert W; Thalmann, Edward D (2003). "Decompression Practice". In Brubakk, Alf O; Neuman, Tom S (eds.). Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving (5th ed.). United States: Saunders. pp. 477–8. ISBN 978-0-7020-2571-6. OCLC 51607923. 978-0-7020-2571-6
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Hamilton & Thalmann 2003, pp. 477–478. - Hamilton, Robert W; Thalmann, Edward D (2003). "Decompression Practice". In Brubakk, Alf O; Neuman, Tom S (eds.). Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving (5th ed.). United States: Saunders. pp. 477–8. ISBN 978-0-7020-2571-6. OCLC 51607923. https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/51607923
Lambertson, Christian J (1989). Relations of isobaric gas counterdiffusion and decompression gas lesion diseases. In Vann, RD. "The Physiological Basis of Decompression". 38th Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Workshop UHMS Publication Number 75(Phys)6-1-89. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853 Archived 2010-01-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2010. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853
Hamilton, Robert W; Thalmann, Edward D (2003). "Decompression Practice". In Brubakk, Alf O; Neuman, Tom S (eds.). Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving (5th ed.). United States: Saunders. pp. 477–8. ISBN 978-0-7020-2571-6. OCLC 51607923. 978-0-7020-2571-6
Lambertson, Christian J (1989). "Relations of isobaric gas counterdiffusion and decompression gas lesion diseases". In Vann, RD (ed.). The Physiological Basis of Decompression. 38th Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Workshop. Vol. UHMS Publication Number 75(Phys)6-1-89. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100105174025/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853
Hamilton, Robert W; Thalmann, Edward D (2003). "Decompression Practice". In Brubakk, Alf O; Neuman, Tom S (eds.). Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving (5th ed.). United States: Saunders. pp. 477–8. ISBN 978-0-7020-2571-6. OCLC 51607923. 978-0-7020-2571-6
Lambertson, Christian J (1989). "Relations of isobaric gas counterdiffusion and decompression gas lesion diseases". In Vann, RD (ed.). The Physiological Basis of Decompression. 38th Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Workshop. Vol. UHMS Publication Number 75(Phys)6-1-89. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100105174025/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853
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Hamilton, Robert W; Thalmann, Edward D (2003). "Decompression Practice". In Brubakk, Alf O; Neuman, Tom S (eds.). Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving (5th ed.). United States: Saunders. pp. 477–8. ISBN 978-0-7020-2571-6. OCLC 51607923. 978-0-7020-2571-6
Lambertson, Christian J (1989). "Relations of isobaric gas counterdiffusion and decompression gas lesion diseases". In Vann, RD (ed.). The Physiological Basis of Decompression. 38th Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Workshop. Vol. UHMS Publication Number 75(Phys)6-1-89. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100105174025/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853
Lambertson, Christian J (1989). Relations of isobaric gas counterdiffusion and decompression gas lesion diseases. In Vann, RD. "The Physiological Basis of Decompression". 38th Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Workshop UHMS Publication Number 75(Phys)6-1-89. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853 Archived 2010-01-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2010. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853
Lambertson, Christian J (1989). Relations of isobaric gas counterdiffusion and decompression gas lesion diseases. In Vann, RD. "The Physiological Basis of Decompression". 38th Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Workshop UHMS Publication Number 75(Phys)6-1-89. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853 Archived 2010-01-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2010. http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853
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Doolette, David J; Mitchell, Simon J (June 2003). "Biophysical basis for inner ear decompression sickness". Journal of Applied Physiology. 94 (6): 2145–50. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01090.2002. PMID 12562679. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Hamilton, Robert W; Thalmann, Edward D (2003). "Decompression Practice". In Brubakk, Alf O; Neuman, Tom S (eds.). Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving (5th ed.). United States: Saunders. pp. 477–8. ISBN 978-0-7020-2571-6. OCLC 51607923. 978-0-7020-2571-6
Lambertson, Christian J (1989). "Relations of isobaric gas counterdiffusion and decompression gas lesion diseases". In Vann, RD (ed.). The Physiological Basis of Decompression. 38th Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Workshop. Vol. UHMS Publication Number 75(Phys)6-1-89. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100105174025/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/6853
Doolette, David J; Mitchell, Simon J (June 2003). "Biophysical basis for inner ear decompression sickness". Journal of Applied Physiology. 94 (6): 2145–50. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01090.2002. PMID 12562679. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Burton, Steve (December 2004). "Isobaric Counter Diffusion". ScubaEngineer. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2010. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm
Doolette, David J; Mitchell, Simon J (June 2003). "Biophysical basis for inner ear decompression sickness". Journal of Applied Physiology. 94 (6): 2145–50. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01090.2002. PMID 12562679. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Doolette, David J; Mitchell, Simon J (June 2003). "Biophysical basis for inner ear decompression sickness". Journal of Applied Physiology. 94 (6): 2145–50. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01090.2002. PMID 12562679. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Burton, Steve (December 2004). "Isobaric Counter Diffusion". ScubaEngineer. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm Archived 2009-03-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2010. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm
Burton, Steve (December 2004). "Isobaric Counter Diffusion". ScubaEngineer. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm Archived 2009-03-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2010. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm
Burton, Steve (December 2004). "Isobaric Counter Diffusion". ScubaEngineer. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm Archived 2009-03-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2010. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm
Burton, Steve (December 2004). "Isobaric Counter Diffusion". ScubaEngineer. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm Archived 2009-03-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 January 2010. http://www.scubaengineer.com/isobaric_counter_diffusion.htm