Abstract
Everyone on earth is continuously exposed, under normal circumstances, to the pressure of the earth’s atmosphere, which at sea level amounts to 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi) of body surface. Most of the time people do not think about air pressure or the air they breathe. They become aware, however, of a change in pressure when they fly in an unpressurized airplane or when they climb a mountain, because in these situations atmospheric pressure is reduced, as is the partial pressure of oxygen, which causes shortness of breath.
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Shilling, C.W., Faiman, M.D. (1984). Physics of Diving and Physical Effects on Divers. In: Shilling, C.W., Carlston, C.B., Mathias, R.A. (eds) The Physician’s Guide to Diving Medicine. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2671-7_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2671-7_2
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