Hydrogen Gas Shows Promise for Deep Sea Diving Safety Issues
- Authors
- , Zebedee KR Wong, Colin KA Teo, , James WM Kwek, , Soo Joang Kim, , Hooi Geok See,
- Journal
- Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Journal
- Year
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.28920/dhm54.1.65-68
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- New Zealand
- Health Condition
- High-Pressure Neurological Syndrome
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Using a mix of helium, oxygen, and hydrogen for deep-sea diving may reduce the risk of a dangerous condition called HPNS without causing other problems.
Key Finding
A single diver breathing hydrogen-containing gas (helihydrox) at 230 meters experienced improvement in high-pressure neurological syndrome symptoms that had previously affected them at similar depths, with no observed adverse effects.
Summary
This case report describes a single deep-sea dive to 230 meters where a diver breathed a gas mixture containing hydrogen (helihydrox) instead of traditional diving gases. At extreme depths, divers can experience a neurological condition called high-pressure neurological syndrome (HPNS) that causes tremors and other symptoms. The diver who had previously experienced these symptoms at similar depths reported improvement when using the hydrogen-containing mixture, with no observed harmful effects during this dive.
Practical Takeaway
This is a single case report from one extreme deep-diving expedition and does not apply to hydrogen water or typical health contexts. The study explores hydrogen as a specialized breathing gas for professional deep-sea diving under extreme pressure conditions—a completely different application from drinking hydrogen-enriched water. Much more research would be needed before any conclusions could be drawn about hydrogen's safety or effects in this specialized diving context.
Abstract
Introduction: Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) remains a recognised treatment for acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, but the utility of HBOT in treating CO-induced delayed neurological sequelae (DNS) is not yet established. Case description: A 26-year old woman presented with reduced consciousness secondary to CO exposure from burning charcoal. She underwent a single session of HBOT with US Navy Treatment Table 5 within six hours of presentation, with full neurological recovery. Eight weeks later, she represented with progressive, debilitating neurological symptoms mimicking Parkinsonism. Magnetic resonance imaging of her brain demonstrated changes consistent with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. The patient underwent 20 sessions of HBOT at 203 kPa (2 atmospheres absolute) for 115 minutes, and received intravenous methylprednisolone 1 g per day for three days. The patient’s neurological symptoms completely resolved, and she returned to full-time professional work with no further recurrence. Discussion: Delayed neurological sequelae is a well-described complication of CO poisoning. In this case, the patient’s debilitating neurocognitive symptoms resolved following HBOT. Existing literature on treatment of CO-induced DNS with HBOT consists mainly of small-scale studies and case reports, many of which similarly suggest that HBOT is effective in treating this complication. However, a large, randomised trial is required to adequately determine the effectiveness of HBOT in the treatment of CO-induced DNS, and an optimal treatment protocol.