Carbon monoxide poisoning while scuba diving: a rare event?

Abstract

Contamination of breathing gas is a risk for all divers. Some hydrocarbon contaminants will be sensed by the diver and the dive profile aborted. On the contrary, carbon monoxide may not be recognized by the diver and catastrophic consequences can result. Reported here is the fatal case of carbon monoxide poisoning while scuba diving, an event that has rarely been reported in the medical literature. A detailed review of other published cases of CO poisoning while scuba diving is included, attempting to identify causes in common and propose methods of prevention.