DIVING

Appendix F. Glossary
Immersion Pulmonary Edema (IPE)
A shift of fluid into the alveolar space of the lung, secondary
to water immersion. The cause is multifactorial; factors
that may play a role in addition to immersion include fluid
loading, cold stress, suit and breathing system resistance,
exercise and high gas density. The net effect is an increase
in pulmonary pressure and membrane permeability, which
drives fluid out of the bloodstream.
Incidence Rate
The number of new cases in a defined population in a
given time period.
Incident
An event or occurrence.
Inner Ear Barotrauma (IEBT)
Trauma to inner ear frequently caused by a rapid rise of
middle ear pressure causing an inward bulge of the round
window and an outward bulge of the stapes foot plate. Implosion
of the round window is possible. IEBT is usually
as- sociated with significant middle ear barotrauma.
International Association for the Development of Apnea
(AIDA)
The Worldwide Federation for breath-hold diving, established
in 1992. AIDA manages and oversees the recognition
of records, organizes competitions, and promotes
stan- dards for freediving education.
In-Water Recompression
Practice of returning a diver back underwater as an emergency
treatment of decompression sickness. Logistical and
safety issues make therapeutic treatment in a recompression
chamber the standard of care for decompression sickness
symptoms.
Infiltrates
Abnormal regions of opacity (non-transparency) with poorly
defined margins visible in the lung (typically seen in X-
rays).
Intracardiac
Within the heart.
Ischemia
Inadequate delivery of blood to a local area due to a blockage
of blood vessels in the area.
Kruskal-Wallis (statistics)
A nonparametric statistic used to compare three or more
samples. The null hypothesis is that the groups have comparable
distributions; the alternative hypothesis is that at
least two of the samples differ (with respect to median).
It is analogous to the F-test used in analysis of variance
(parametric). While analysis of variance tests depend on
the assumption of normal distribution, the Kruskal-Wallis
test is not so restricted.
Lasix
A prescription medication, furosemide (trade name Lasix)
is a commonly used as a diuretic to treat hypertension
and edema.
Lung Barotrauma
See “Pulmonary Barotrauma.”
Mean (statistics)
The arithmetic average calculated by taking the sum of
a group of measurements and dividing by the number of
measurements. See “Median.”
Median (statistics)
The middle value in a range of numbers. Half the numbers
are higher than the middle value and half are lower. The
mean and median will be extremely similar if the group of
numbers is normally distributed. See “Mean.”
Mediastinal Emphysema (Pneumomediastinum)
Air that surrounds the heart (not within the heart or blood
vessels). This is usually the result of pulmonary barotrauma.
Medical Services Call Center (MSCC)
The computerized logging system, introduced in 2006, that
captures all calls, emergency and information, and emails
received by the DAN Medical Services Department.
Meniere’s Disease
A disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and
balance. It is characterized by spontaneous episodes of
vertigo, tinnitus (perception of roaring, buzzing or ringing
in the ears) and hearing loss.
Metabolic Demand
The energetic requirement of the body; typically measured
indirectly by the amount of oxygen consumed in respiration.
Meters of Seawater (msw)
Metric unit of length or depth; 1.0 msw = 3.28084 fsw
(arithmetic conversion). See “Feet of Seawater.”
Middle Ear Barotrauma (MEBT)
Caused by an inability to equalize middle ear pressure with
that of the ambient (surrounding) pressure. The insult may
occur on compression (‘squeeze’) or ambient pressure
reduction (‘reverse block’). See “Otitis Media.”
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Annual Diving Report – 2012-2015 Edition