Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00913:reg:7
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00913
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 7
Character Range: 1680–3721

7               Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
(1)          This Statement of Principles is about pulmonary barotrauma and death from pulmonary barotrauma.
Meaning of pulmonary barotrauma
(2)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pulmonary barotrauma:
(a)          means an acute lung injury arising from an abnormal pressure gradient across pulmonary tissues resulting in pulmonary haemorrhage from pulmonary compression, or air leakage into the pleural space (pneumothorax), the pericardial space (pneumopericardium), the peritoneal space (pneumoperitoneum), under the skin (subcutaneous emphysema) or into the blood (arterial gas embolism); and
(b)          includes:
(i)            iatrogenic pulmonary barotrauma;
(ii)         explosive blast injury;
(iii)       pulmonary barotrauma due to forceful coughing, vomiting, forceful Valsalva or Muller manoeuvres;
(iv)        pulmonary barotrauma of ascent;
(v)          pulmonary barotrauma of descent also known as lung or thoracic squeeze; and
(vi)        pulmonary barotrauma to abnormal pulmonary conditions such as bulla, blebs and cysts; and
(c)          excludes:
(i)            decompression sickness;
(ii)         arterial gas embolism due to decompression sickness; and
(iii)       pneumothorax, pneumopericardium, pneumoperitoneum, and arterial gas embolism due to non-pressure causes such as lung disease, and penetrating trauma including surgery.
Note: The Valsalva manoeuvre is exhaling against a closed glottis and the Muller manoeuver is inhaling against a closed glottis. Examples of uses of the Valsalva manoeuvre include anti g straining manoeuvres, and straining during childbirth.
Death from pulmonary barotrauma
(3)          For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, pulmonary barotrauma, in relation to a person, includes death from a terminal event or condition that was contributed to by the person's pulmonary barotrauma.
Note: terminal event is defined in the Schedule 1 – Dictionary.