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According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association 2015 report, approximately 3 million people engage in scuba diving-related activities in the United States every year, and more than 9 million people identify as recreational divers. The incidence of diving-related accidents has increased steadily with the increase in divers. Despite the many improvements in technology and safe diving techniques, the recreational scuba diving fatalities rate remains steady at about 2 per 100,000 dives. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) identifies over 1000 diving-related injuries annually, with over 10% being fatal. DAN groups these incidents into 4 categories under which most diving-related casualties can be grouped. These include preexisting medical conditions of divers, procedural errors, changes in an environment, and problems with equipment. The incidence and epidemiology of diving casualties, as well as emergencies specific to diving and the efforts to decrease diving casualties, are discussed in this topic.[1][2][3]

Diving accidents are quite common and often present in the emergency department. [11] The care is interprofessional because these accidents can be associated with various injuries. The emergency department physician should initiate an ATLS protocol and stabilize the patient. Once imaging studies are obtained, the relevant specialties should be consulted. For minor injuries with no symptoms, patients may be discharged. For those with neurological deficits or other organ injuries, admission is necessary. The clinician monitoring the patient should assess neurological signs every few hours to ensure the individual is not developing worsening symptoms. The prognosis depends on the injury's extent and neurological deficits at the time of admission. The patient must be transferred to an HBO center when stable.