The effects of nebulised salbutamol driven by compressed air or oxygen were compared in a randomised crossover study during 27 attacks of acute asthma. Arterial oxygen saturation fell by 2-6% during or after treatment in 10 cases: seven with compressed air, two with oxygen, and one with both driving gases. Hypoxaemia occurred in younger children and in those who fell asleep, but was not related...

The Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project started compressed air work in Oct 1984. Eleven km of underground tunnels out of 20 km were built using this method. Cases of decompression sickness (DCS) arising from compressed air work are rare with working pressures less than 1 bar gauge. However, there were 10 cases of DCS in the MRT project who were exposed to less than 1 bar pressure. The au...

Attempts to measure the propulsive forces produced by swimming dolphins have been limited. Previous uses of computational hydrodynamic models and gliding experiments have provided estimates of thrust production by dolphins, but these were indirect tests that relied on various assumptions. The thrust produced by two actively swimming bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) was directly measured...

Compressed-air tools are of interest by reason of their vibratory action which affects the peripheral circulation of the fingers. Raynaud's syndrome in riveters, pneumatic chisellers and drillers is well known. The harmful effect is almost certainly due to vibration, although cooling of the hands may occur with some pneumatic tools and may be a contributory factor.* Apart from using compressed ...

Answer 1 The patient developed facial subcutaneous emphysema as a result of her dental procedure. Subcutaneous emphysema refers to the collection of air beneath the subcutaneous tissue. It is more commonly seen in facial bone fractures, infection by gas-producing organisms, tracheostomies and anterior neck dissections.1 Subcutaneous emphysema is a known, but rare, complication of dental procedu...

The authors compared the neurologic, neuropsychological, and neuroradiologic status of military compressed-air divers without a history of neurologic decompression illness and controls. No gross differences in the neuropsychometric test results or abnormal neurologic findings were found. There was no correlation between test results, diving experience, and number and size of cerebral MRI lesion...