Treatment of type I decompression sickness using the U.S. Navy treatment algorithm.

The effectiveness of the U.S. Navy (USN) Diving Manual treatment algorithm in treating pain-only decompression sickness (DCS) was analyzed. Treatment logs from the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center and the Navy Experimental Diving Unit during the decade 1976-1986 were examined. Two hundred and ninety-two cases diagnosed initially as pain-only DCS were identified. Using the treatment algorithm, 208 cases were completed on USN Treatment Table 5 (TT-5), and 84 cases completed on USN Treatment Table 6 (TT-6). Recurrence of symptoms was 4.3% after TT-5, and 3.6% following TT-6. Difference in rate of recurrence was not statistically significant between treatment tables. Overall, the success rate for following the USN treatment algorithm was 95.9%. These data support the use of the shorter TT-5 in accordance with the Navy treatment algorithm.