The body compartment most at risk is the chest cavity. The air compartments of the ears and sinuses can also be affected, though the consequences in these cases are virtually never fatal. However, ear involvement can result in deafness, vertigo and disorders in balance and position sense, and such injuries may be temporary or permanent. As mentioned earlier, this occurs when free air enters the bloodstream and is carried to the brain where the air bubbles subsequently occlude critical blood vessels, leading to severe neurological deficits. This may occur in the setting of pulmonary barotrauma as described above, or, less commonly, in patients with preexisting heart defects which allow mixing of the body's two complementary circulation's.
Prompt treatment is necessary if the patient is to have a decent chance of survival.