Mutzbauer1
Plasma erythropoietin levels are not raised following short exposures to high environmental pressure during wet or dry diving.
| Clinical Bottom Line |
| 1. Exposure to wet diving conditions did not alter plasma erythropoietin levels compared to dry diving. |
| 2. Neither group differed significantly from control measures pre-dive |
| 3. Clinical significance minimal. |
Appraised by: Mike Bennett, Dept of Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital Sydney; Monday , 26 November 2001
Clinical Scenario: Healthy recreational diver volunteers. Three-part Question: In healthy volunteers, does exposure to a period of high environmental pressure in a wet environment, compared to a dry environment, lead to an increase in plasma levels of erythropoetin? Search Terms: Erythropoeitin
The Study: Non-blinded randomised cross-over controlled trial with intention-to-treat. Healthy volunteer divers. Control group (N = 8; 8 analysed): Dry chamber dive to 50m for a total dive time of 32 minutes. Experimental group (N = 8; 8 analysed): Wet dive to exactly the same profile.
The Evidence: Outcomes Time to outcome Dry dive Wet dive P-value Plasma EPO (mU/ml) Post-dive 7.0 5.8 >0.05 Plasma EPO (mU/ml) 24 hours 6.2 5.4 >0.05
Comments: 1. Crossover design. 2. May be the same study as Mutzbauer 2000 in UHM supplement
Expiry date:December 2021 References: 1. Mutzbauer T, GruenesA, Neubauer B, Lorenz I, Weiss M, Schneider M, Tetzlaff K. Effect of single dry and wet dives to 50 meters in sport divers on erythropoietin (EPO) plasma concentrations. European Journal of Underwater Medicine 2001; 2(3):65. 2. Mutzbauer T, GruenesA, Neubauer B. Effect of single dry and wet dives to 50 meters in sport divers on erythropoeitin (EPO) plasma concentrations. European Journal of Underwater Medicine 2001; 2(3): 65
