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Prophylactic high dose methylprednisolone fails to treat severe decompression sickness in swine.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Dromsky, DM; Weathersby, PK; Fahlman, A
Published in: Aviation, space, and environmental medicine
January 2003

Controlled decompression from saturation conditions is not always an option, particularly in a disabled submarine scenario. Hypothesis Prophylactic high dose methylprednisolone (MP) would improve outcome in severe cases of decompression sickness (DCS).Littermate pairs of male Yorkshire swine (n = 86, mean weight +/- SE = 19.3 +/- 0.2 kg) were randomized to one of three groups, then compressed on air to 4.3 ATA (33 msw) for 22 h and brought directly to surface pressure (1 ATA) at 0.9 ATA x min(-1). The MP-50 group received i.v. infusion of 50 mg x kg(-1) of MP dissolved in 60 cc normal saline (NS) immediately prior to the hyperbaric exposure. The NS group received 60 cc NS i.v. immediately prior to the hyperbaric exposure. The MP-10 group received i.v. infusion of 10 mg x kg(-1) MP dissolved in 60 cc NS during the hyperbaric exposure, 7 h before the decompression.Outcomes of severe DCS and death were recorded. NS group: 14 DCS, 4 died; MP-50 group: 19 DCS, 12 died; MP-10 group: 19 DCS, 10 died. Compared with the NS group, logistic regression analysis suggested that animals in the MP-10 group were more likely to get severe DCS and to die (p < 0.01) and animals in the MP-50 group were more likely to die from their disease (p < 0.01).Prophylactic high dose MP exerts no protective effect against severe DCS and actually worsens mortality in this model. An earlier group of untreated controls (UC, n = 44, 30 DCS, 11 died, mean weight +/- SE = 19.9 +/- 0.3 kg) exposed to the same profile was also available for analysis. Comparison of the UC and NS animals suggested that pre-dive NS treatment may protect against severe DCS.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Aviation, space, and environmental medicine

EISSN

1943-4448

ISSN

0095-6562

Publication Date

January 2003

Volume

74

Issue

1

Start / End Page

21 / 28

Related Subject Headings

  • Treatment Outcome
  • Swine
  • Physiology
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Methylprednisolone
  • Male
  • Logistic Models
  • Hyperbaric Oxygenation
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Disease Models, Animal
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Dromsky, D. M., Weathersby, P. K., & Fahlman, A. (2003). Prophylactic high dose methylprednisolone fails to treat severe decompression sickness in swine. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 74(1), 21–28.
Dromsky, David M., Paul K. Weathersby, and Andreas Fahlman. “Prophylactic high dose methylprednisolone fails to treat severe decompression sickness in swine.Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 74, no. 1 (January 2003): 21–28.
Dromsky DM, Weathersby PK, Fahlman A. Prophylactic high dose methylprednisolone fails to treat severe decompression sickness in swine. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 2003 Jan;74(1):21–8.
Dromsky, David M., et al. “Prophylactic high dose methylprednisolone fails to treat severe decompression sickness in swine.Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, vol. 74, no. 1, Jan. 2003, pp. 21–28.
Dromsky DM, Weathersby PK, Fahlman A. Prophylactic high dose methylprednisolone fails to treat severe decompression sickness in swine. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine. 2003 Jan;74(1):21–28.

Published In

Aviation, space, and environmental medicine

EISSN

1943-4448

ISSN

0095-6562

Publication Date

January 2003

Volume

74

Issue

1

Start / End Page

21 / 28

Related Subject Headings

  • Treatment Outcome
  • Swine
  • Physiology
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Methylprednisolone
  • Male
  • Logistic Models
  • Hyperbaric Oxygenation
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Disease Models, Animal