Decompression sickness, one of the main medical emergencies associated with diving, can be caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the body due to ascending too quickly or not respecting decompression stops. Between 2015 and October 2026, the SUC attended to 252 divers, with 22 interventions so far this year.
Symptoms of this condition include joint pain, neurological alterations, difficulty breathing, dizziness, weakness, or loss of consciousness, requiring immediate specialized medical assistance. In case of a possible diving accident, it is crucial to notify emergency services without delay to prevent serious long-term consequences.
In the Canary Islands, reference hyperbaric chambers are located at the Hospital Universitario de Canarias and the Hospital Insular de Lanzarote, making aeromedical transfer essential. Of the total interventions, 74 required the use of a medical helicopter to transfer affected divers from El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Palma, or La Gomera.
Medical personnel and the aeronautical crew plan the flight to ensure the patient's safety, maintaining the lowest possible cabin altitude (recommended below one thousand feet), administering one hundred percent oxygen and saline solution, and keeping the patient in a supine position under continuous monitoring.
