Increasing prevalence of vestibulo-cochlear decompression illness in Malta – an analysis of hyperbaric treatment data from 1987–2017

INTRODUCTION: Scuba diving is a big part of the tourism sector in Malta, and all the cases of decompression illness (DCI)are treated within the single hyperbaric referral centre in the country. METHODS: This retrospective analysis reviews all the medical records of divers with DCI in Malta within the 30-year period between 1987 to 2017 who required recompression therapy with hyperbaric oxygen. RESULTS: There were 437 discrete cases of DCI managed with recompression therapy. Amongst DCI subtypes, the prevalence of musculo-skeletal DCI is decreasing, whereas that of vestibulo-cochlear DCI is increasing. CONCLUSION: The increasing prevalence of vestibulo-cochlear DCI may be due to a change in diving practices in Malta.