Scuba diving is one of the most common and practised water sport activities in Genoa, especially in the more recent years. Although scuba diving is generally considered a safe activity, this does not exclude the possibility of serious or fatal accidents from happening. This retrospective study investigates the case history of deaths resulting from diving accidents recorded by the Municipal Morgue of Genoa over a period of 53 years, specifically from 1968 to 2021. Of the total 52 deaths covered by the study, 48 were male with an age range of 16-71 years. In 25 of these subjects, pre-existing pathological conditions of a cardiovascular nature, not recognised at the time of death, were reported. Out of the total deaths studied, 9 subjects died following a diving accident related to free diving, while 43 subjects died from scuba or rebreather diving. Among the latter subjects, the cause of death was attributed to drowning in 17 cases, arterial gas embolism (AGE) from pulmonary over-distension in 11 cases, cardio-circulatory arrest (CA) favoured by pre-existing and non-existing heart disease known prior to the death in 10 cases, decompression sickness (DCS) in 2 cases, a combination of DCS and AGE in 2 cases and oxygen intoxication in 1 case. Twelve of the fatal accidents occurred in the marine area near the village of Arenzano, where the shipwreck of the oil tanker, the "Haven", sank in 1991 and is today the largest shipwreck explored by divers in the Mediterranean Sea. In all cases of diving deaths, a multi-disciplinary approach is important: in particular, the role of the forensic pathologist is essential in order to accurately reconstruct the dynamics of the accident, thus identifying the predisposing or triggering factors that led to death, and defining the cause of it.
Keywords: Autopsy; Diving accidents; Forensic pathology; Predisposing factors; Scuba diving.
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