Measuring whole-body inert gas uptake and washout during submersion.

Introduction: Quantifying inert gas uptake and washout is critical for understanding decompression sickness (DCS). However, the limited amount of data has made it difficult to integrate inert gas kinetics into risk models for DCS. Measuring whole-body inert gas kinetics during submersion is technically challenging. This study presents a novel method for quantifying inert gas uptake and washout in human divers using a rebreather-based system. Methods: ₂, STP). Power analysis was conducted to quantify the resolution by which the method could detect nitrogen uptake and washout volumes. Results: ₂ uptake during the bottom phase was 0.96 L (SD 0.29), while mean washout during decompression was 0.67 L (SD 0.26). The minimal mean detectable difference (MDD) with eight dives was 0.28 L for the bottom phase and 0.26 L for the decompression phase, considering standard 80% power and a 0.05 significance level. Conclusions: This novel method quantifies inert gas kinetics during submersion with acceptable precision and accuracy. It could facilitate the collection of inert gas kinetics data during submersion, potentially yielding valuable correlations with the risk of DCS.