You do not have to go abroad to encounter wilderness medicine: insect bites, hypothermia, hyperthermia but also mountain biking and diving accidents occur in the Netherlands. Diving is becoming more and more popular. Smithuis et al. have shared their data on diving accidents in the Netherlands in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine. 43 patients presented at their emergency department between November 2011 and September 2015. Most patients (70%) presented at the same day as their dive and they experienced a wide variety of symptoms. Pain was reported most often. 70% of all patients received hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The authors conclude that every diving accident should be discussed with a center of expertise because of the limited number of patients, the difficulty of symptom recognition and the (potential) huge impact if not recognized and treated adequately.

You can read the full article, including five illustrative cases, here.

Smithuis JW, Gips E, van Rees Vellinga TP, Gaakeer MI. Diving accidents: a cohort study from the Netherlands. Int J Emerg Med. 2016;9(1):14.