Incidence of otic barotrauma in Canadian Armed Forces shallow-water diver candidate students 2011-2015

Abstract

Introduction: While otic barotrauma (OBT) is a common condition experienced by divers, data related to military divers is limited. This study aimed to determine the incidence of OBT in Canadian armed forces (CAF) shallow-water diver (SWD) students trained through the Fleet Dive Unit (Atlantic) (FDU[A]) between 2011-2015. Methods: A retrospective cohort evaluation was performed. The study group consisted of all SWD candidates who embarked on an SWD course through FDU(A) between 2011-2015. A total of 241 subjects comprised the final data analysis. Results: A total of 56 individuals (23.2%) suffered 60 instances of OBT, yielding an incidence density rate of 8.68 per 1,000 person-days on course. A total of 73 diving days (10.44 per 1,000 planned person-course days, or 4.87 diving days per course) were lost due to OBT. Of the reported OBT cases, 18% resulted in cessation of training, 72% in temporary removal from diving. There was no statistically significant association between sex, history of environmental allergies, previous dive qualification, age or rank and the development of OBT. Conclusion: This study reveals that OBT is prevalent among CAF SWD candidates, with operational impact due to missed diving days. This study is limited, and further prospective study is recommended.

Barotrauma Telinga Tengah pada Nelayan Penyelam

“…Pada studi yang dilakukan di Kanada, dilaporkan kejadian barotrauma telinga tengah sebesar 23,2% pada penyelam militer dalam kondisi perairan terbuka. 9 Prevalensi lebih tinggi dilaporkan pada studi dengan subjek penyelam rekreasi di Brazil, yakni sebesar 71,5% mengalami barotrauma telinga tengah. 10 Berdasarkan data Departemen Kesehatan Republik Indonesia (2008), dilaporkan pada rentang tahun 1994-1996 di Kepulauan Seribu, Pulau Panggang, dan Pulau Pramuka Indonesia terdapat 41,37% penyelam mengalami kejadian barotrauma telinga.…”