TY - JOUR
T1 - Right-to-Left Shunt in Divers with Neurological Decompression Sickness
T2 - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
AU - Peppas, Spyros
AU - Palaiodimos, Leonidas
AU - Nagraj, Sanjana
AU - Kokkinidis, Damianos G.
AU - Tiwari, Nidhish
AU - Kharawala, Amrin
AU - Mojadidi, Mohammad K.
AU - Mojaddedi, Sanauallah
AU - Ntaios, George
AU - Faillace, Robert T.
AU - Tobis, Jonathan M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the association between the presence of a right-to-left shunt (RLS) and neurological decompression sickness (NDCS) and asymptomatic brain lesions among otherwise healthy divers. Background: Next to drowning, NDCS is the most severe phenotype of diving-related disease and may cause permanent damage to the brain and spinal cord. Several observational reports have described the presence of an RLS as a significant risk factor for neurological complications in divers, ranging from asymptomatic brain lesions to NDCS. Methods: We systematically reviewed the MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases from inception until November 2021. A random-effects model was used to compute odds ratios. Results: Nine observational studies consisting of 1830 divers (neurological DCS: 954; healthy divers: 876) were included. RLS was significantly more prevalent in divers with NDCS compared to those without (62.6% vs. 27.3%; odds ratio (OR): 3.83; 95% CI: 2.79–5.27). Regarding RLS size, high-grade RLS was more prevalent in the NDCS group than the no NDCS group (57.8% versus 18.4%; OR: 4.98; 95% CI: 2.86–8.67). Further subgroup analysis revealed a stronger association with the inner ear (OR: 12.13; 95% CI: 8.10–18.17) compared to cerebral (OR: 4.96; 95% CI: 2.43–10.12) and spinal cord (OR: 2.47; 95% CI: 2.74–7.42) DCS. RLS was more prevalent in divers with asymptomatic ischemic brain lesions than those without any lesions (46.0% vs. 38.0%); however, this was not statistically significant (OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 0.80–2.91). Conclusions: RLS, particularly high-grade RLS, is associated with greater risk of NDCS. No statistically significant association between RLS and asymptomatic brain lesions was found.
AB - Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the association between the presence of a right-to-left shunt (RLS) and neurological decompression sickness (NDCS) and asymptomatic brain lesions among otherwise healthy divers. Background: Next to drowning, NDCS is the most severe phenotype of diving-related disease and may cause permanent damage to the brain and spinal cord. Several observational reports have described the presence of an RLS as a significant risk factor for neurological complications in divers, ranging from asymptomatic brain lesions to NDCS. Methods: We systematically reviewed the MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases from inception until November 2021. A random-effects model was used to compute odds ratios. Results: Nine observational studies consisting of 1830 divers (neurological DCS: 954; healthy divers: 876) were included. RLS was significantly more prevalent in divers with NDCS compared to those without (62.6% vs. 27.3%; odds ratio (OR): 3.83; 95% CI: 2.79–5.27). Regarding RLS size, high-grade RLS was more prevalent in the NDCS group than the no NDCS group (57.8% versus 18.4%; OR: 4.98; 95% CI: 2.86–8.67). Further subgroup analysis revealed a stronger association with the inner ear (OR: 12.13; 95% CI: 8.10–18.17) compared to cerebral (OR: 4.96; 95% CI: 2.43–10.12) and spinal cord (OR: 2.47; 95% CI: 2.74–7.42) DCS. RLS was more prevalent in divers with asymptomatic ischemic brain lesions than those without any lesions (46.0% vs. 38.0%); however, this was not statistically significant (OR: 1.53; 95% CI: 0.80–2.91). Conclusions: RLS, particularly high-grade RLS, is associated with greater risk of NDCS. No statistically significant association between RLS and asymptomatic brain lesions was found.
KW - diving
KW - neurological decompression sickness
KW - right-to-left shunt
KW - silent brain lesions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85160250439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85160250439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/healthcare11101407
DO - 10.3390/healthcare11101407
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37239692
AN - SCOPUS:85160250439
SN - 2227-9032
VL - 11
JO - Healthcare (Switzerland)
JF - Healthcare (Switzerland)
IS - 10
M1 - 1407
ER -