PADI Divemaster Certification Practice Exam

What is a key recommendation for DCS first aid and treatment?

1. Provide warm fluids for hydration

2. Ensure the patient remains still and calm

3. Administer 100 percent oxygen to a breathing patient

4. Limit physical activity until help arrives

The correct answer is: Administer 100 percent oxygen to a breathing patient

Administering 100 percent oxygen to a breathing patient is a key recommendation for the first aid and treatment of Decompression Sickness (DCS). The immediate administration of oxygen helps to reduce the amount of nitrogen dissolved in the tissues, as it accelerates the elimination of nitrogen from the body. By breathing pure oxygen, the patient is able to facilitate the process of nitrogen off-gassing, which is critical in alleviating the symptoms and preventing further complications associated with DCS. This intervention is grounded in the principles of hyperbaric medicine, where higher concentrations of oxygen are used to treat various diving-related conditions. In cases of DCS, delivering 100 percent oxygen significantly enhances tissue oxygenation, which can help to mitigate the effects of nitrogen bubbles that form due to rapid pressure changes, thereby improving the patient’s chances of recovery before definitive medical treatment is available. Other recommendations like providing warm fluids for hydration and ensuring the patient remains still and calm are supportive measures, but they don't have the same critical importance in the context of addressing the underlying issues of DCS as administering pure oxygen does. Limiting physical activity is advisable to prevent exacerbating the condition, but again, it does not have the direct physiological impact on nitrogen elimination that oxygen does.