Ventricular dysrhythmia associated with serious decompression sickness

A case of serious decompression sickness complicated by frequent, unifocal, premature ventricular contractions (PVC) is presented. Although no cardiac monitoring was available, a continuous lidocaine infusion was used during recompression treatment to treat the PVCs, and it appeared to produce no untoward side effects. The concerns about using lidocaine in the dysbaric patient subjected to a hyperbaric oxygen environment are discussed.