Latent hypoxia

rdf:langString Latent hypoxia

rdf:langString Latent hypoxia occurs when a diver under pressure has a lung gas and blood oxygen concentration that is sufficient to support consciousness at that pressure, but insufficient at surface pressure. This problem is associated with freediving blackout and the presence of hypoxic breathing gas mixtures in underwater breathing apparatus, particularly in diving rebreathers. The term latent hypoxia strictly refers to the situation while the potential victim is still conscious, but is also loosely applied to the consequential blackout, which is a form of hypoxic blackout also referred to as blackout of ascent or deep water blackout, though deep water blackout is also used to refer to the final stage of nitrogen narcosis.