Tue, Nov 10, 2026

Today's Summary: NAVSEA and Navy dive medicine funding, hyperbaric preconditioning protects spinal cord in DCS, new data on exhaled VOCs during decompression, and portable recompression chambers expand for scientific diving.

Naval Sea Systems Command posted BAA N00024-27-S-0001 on Nov 8, seeking proposals for diving equipment development and diver health, safety, and submariner survivability in disabled submarines. Focus includes atmospheric dive systems and decompression science. 

At the AAUS Diving for Science Symposium Oct 5-10 in La Jolla, Dive 1st Aid demonstrated the SOS Hyperlite 1 — a portable hyperbaric system designed to bring recompression capability closer to the point of injury for expedition planning. 

Royal Derby Hospital installed a saturation diving bell to study CPR in confined spaces, led by Dr. Graham Johnson with International SOS, testing a Norwegian-built compressed-gas chest compression device. 

A Frontiers in Immunology study published Aug 19, 2026 found HBO preconditioning reduced neurological deficit in DCS spinal cord injury by activating Nrf2 to suppress pro-inflammatory astrocyte polarization. 

In 17 divers exposed to 30m air, oxygen breathing during decompression delayed clearance of certain alkanes, ketones and olefins while promoting sulfur-containing compounds, offering potential biomarkers for decompression stress. 

ABEM board exam for Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine runs Oct 12 – Nov 1, 2026, covering prevention of injury from increased ambient pressure and therapeutic use of oxygen under pressure. 

 Today's Summary : Safer decompression with new gas-switching research, Italy creates the diving doctor role, UTMB launches undersea fellowship, and hyperbaric medicine shows strong wound-healing data.  

Law 9 of January 26, 2026 defines governance for diving and introduces the “diving doctor” as the competent medical reference, replacing the generic occupational doctor model.

PNAS 2026 study using swine hyperbaric exposures found that breathing a different gas mix before ascent may reduce decompression sickness risk.

Inaugurated March 13, 2026 at Gozo General Hospital with €1.2M in tourist eco-contributions, strengthening rapid response for diving incidents in the Mediterranean.

Completed under UHMS with Dr. Marissa Carter, published June 3, 2026 in PRS Global Open — 24 studies, 13 RCTs — the most comprehensive analysis to date.

A 99-trial network meta-analysis (7,356 patients) found HBOT reduced major amputations with OR 0.35, alongside higher complete healing rates.

EUBS will hold its 50th Annual Scientific Meeting Sept 14-18, 2026 in Geneva, featuring the 4th decennial European Consensus Conference on Hyperbaric Medicine indications.