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xerecats

Subcutaneous emphysema - Has any problem????

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Hi,

I’m from Brazil so my English is not so good, but I going to try…

In beginning of the year I had a Subcutaneous emphysema because I was trying to scale a mountain in Bolivia that has 6088 meters of height (i don’t know if it writes like this....)

The doctor in Bolivia told me that has no problem, but the doctor here in Brazil told that is not recommended for cause of pressure difference, or something like this....

Someone here knows if I can come back to do my jumps????

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Maybe it would be better if you asked in portuguese; then an accurate translation can be provided, and a doctor can answer. I don't know the answer, but I can probably translate.

Eu nao se a resposta, mas provavelmente posso traduzir. Os termos que usou nao vao juntos em ingles (emphysema e um problema com os pulmoes, e subcutaneous quer dizer debaixo da pele). Edema pulmonario seria pulmonary edema, que e um problema da altitude.

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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The name of this in Portuguese is Enfisema Subcutaneo, and in English is Subcutaneous emphysema (gas under the skin tissue), that is a kind of Barotrauma. Is very common in diving.

Barotrauma is physical damage to body tissues caused by a difference in pressure between an air space inside or beside the body and the surrounding gas or liquid.

Subcutaneous emphysema occurs when air gets into tissues under the skin covering the chest wall or neck. This can happen due to stabbing, gun shot wounds, other penetrations, or blunt trauma.

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OK -- I looked it up, and from what you posted, I wasn't sure.

I have no idea, so I'll hope that someone else will answer. I'll let a couple of folks who are doctors know that this is here.

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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Difficult to answer as not much detail is given - when ? how ? underlying lung condition ? One usually sees subcut emphysema in stab wounds\gunshot wounds to the chest where the lung is damaged and air escapes beneath the skin. Once the laceration in the lung heals the emphysema disappears. I am not sure in what context you developed this condition - scaling high mountains does not normally cause this problem unless you have an underlying lung condition. So I can't answer in more detail. As for going back to skydiving I suggest you follow your drs orders or get a second opinion - I am not prepared to make a call on the scanty information present in this forum. Going to high altitudes shortly after having had this condition may be a problem.

Doc Rich
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Everything that happens to you in life is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your life and be taught.

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What means “underlying lung condition”???

I gonna try explain better:
In Beginner of the year (12 of January) I was in Bolivia to make a hiking until Peru (destiny Machu Picchu –“ Lost City of the Incas”). When I was in La Paz, I went to a mountain called Huayna Potosi that has 6.088 meters (18264 feet) of height. I never had make hiking in my life and that was my first time in a mountain, I never got more that 3.000 meters (9,000 feet) of altitude (of course that during my jumps, but never in the ground and in skydiving the time of exposition to altitude is very small). We went from 3.000 until 5.550 meters in 2 hours (so we don’t have time to the body get used with the altitude). Our guide got lost with us and we stay in the mountain lost something like 4 hours with snow, rain and temperature was in –5º Celsius.
We find the way, and during the night I start to be seek. Because of altitude I had “High Altitude Pulmonary Edema” and “Subcutaneous emphysema”. I stay in the hospital for 11 days, and comeback to Brazil after that.

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I have done extensive reading on the topic of high altitude sickness and knowwhere is any mention made of sucutaneous oedema as one of the plethora of symptoms for this disorder. One can get what is termed acute mountain sickness (general feeling of being unwell), high altitude cerebral oedema (HACE life threatening) and high altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE) together with a multitude of other minor symptoms like cough/bronchitis etc.

I have no doubt subcutaeous oedema can be caused by high altitude in a person whose lungs are damaged due to previous inflammation or even perhaps a congenital bullous which ruptured and caused a pneumothorax. Thats what I mean by "underlying lung condition". You may not even have been aware of the problem. I suspect you may have developed a small pneumothorax at some stage on your sojourn up the mountain which was self sealing (lucky for you) - potentially it could have been a lot worse.

I suggest you have chest xrays or even a CT scan done of your lungs to exclude any damage before you even think of jumping again. I would not want you to develop a spontaneous pneumothorax at altitude as it may be life threatening.

My advice to you would be to have an extensive lung check up before you even consider jumping again.

See thee web site below for details on altitude sickness.


Doc Rich

http://www.ismmed.org/np_altitude_tutorial.htm
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Everything that happens to you in life is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your life and be taught.

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Wow -- that's a lot of work and research -- I sure hope the original poster is still on!

Wendy W.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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Wendy, I have an interest in high altitude sickness however have never in my reading come across this particular problem in a healthy individual. So it perked my interest. I would be interested if anyone else has come across this complication before in relation to HAS.

Only too pleased to assist where I can.

Cheers
Rich
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Everything that happens to you in life is your teacher. The secret is to learn to sit at the feet of your life and be taught.

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