Adjunctive therapy for decompression illness: a review and update.

Therapeutic interventions may augment the outcome or provide temporizing support pending recompression. Effective measures include first aid (surface) oxygen therapy, fluid resuscitation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and avoidance of fever. Lignocaine may also be effective, particularly for cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE). For critically ill patients with CAGE, animal studies do not support the use of hyperventilation. There is strong experimental evidence in animals for the efficacy of intravenous perfluorocarbon. When lower limb paralysis occurs, low molecular weight heparin is recommended to reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism.