Posted by Kendall Raine on June 13, 2001 at 08:51:38:
In Reply to: Re: A.G.E hit/I'll bite posted by Ken Kurtis on June 13, 2001 at 00:03:26:
I think you're mistaken. Depth and time considerations are NOT irrelevant to an AGE, Ken. That's because an AGE can result from a shunt or PFO, not just an expansion injury as you state.
With a PFO, for example, vascular bubbles notmally directed to the lungs for filtering/ elimination can bypass the lungs via the PFO and enter the arterial system and be carried to the brain. On a dive producing many bubbles, i.e. lots of time at depth, the odds of one slipping past the PFO into the arterial system goes up. The more vascular bubbles, the more likely it is that they will force open the PFO, as well.